


Don't Throw Yourself Away

by ItsYourLife



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Big Brother Itachi, Big Brother Kakashi, Big Brother Uchiha Itachi, Child Naruto - Freeform, Child Sakura, Child Sasuke, Discipline, Domestic Discipline, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Good Uchiha Itachi, Good Uchiha Obito, Hurt/Comfort, Itachi Is Alive, Itachi is raising Sasuke, Itachi raising Sasuke, Itachi takes care of sasuke, Itachi taking care of sasuke, Kakashi Raises Naruto, Kakashi adopts Naruto, Kakashi and Naruto, Kakashi takes care of Naruto, Kakashi taking care of naruto, Kid Sakura, Little Naruto, Non-Sexual Spanking, Obito Is Alive, Parental Hatake Kakashi, Parental Umino Iruka, Punishment, Sakura is an orphan, Sasuke and Naruto friendship, Spanking, Trouble, Uchiha Sasuke Needs a Hug, Uchiha Sasuke-centric, big brother obito, child hinata, friends - Freeform, iruka-sensei - Freeform, kid Naruto, kid Sasuke, kid hinata, little Sakura, little Sasuke, little hinata, naruto and Sasuke friendship, nonsexual spanking, obirin - Freeform, obito and sakura, orphan sakura, team seven
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:09:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29575902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsYourLife/pseuds/ItsYourLife
Summary: A series of AU stories in which the members of Team Seven are 6-7 years old and all orphans. Teenaged Itachi is raising Sasuke, who struggles to cope with the loss of his parents, annoying classmates who insist on befriending him, making a rival of him, or both, and, most difficult of all, the frustration and disappointment of being unable to spend as much time with Itachi as he longs to. Contains the spanking of minors.
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

(I'm really sorry I kept deleting and reposting my works. I was going through something, but I appreciate you reading and plan to make this a series that I'll continue.)

The belt. The loop of smooth black leather, except when on rare occasions it left its place, always hung upon its hook high above the stove in the kitchen of the large stone house. This belt belonged to Itachi, the older brother and caretaker of little seven-year-old Sasuke, though it wasn't one that he ever used for the purpose of keeping his clothes in place. It hung where Sasuke could see it to serve as a reminder and an enforcer of Itachi's expectations, but it only left the wall if Sasuke endangered himself with foolish behavior, was dishonest or used his hands in anger - provided that Itachi learned of his wrongdoing.

This, Sasuke often thought, was one of the very few advantages afforded to a boy when his only caretaker had to work to provide for him and therefore didn't know about all of his affairs. Itachi served as a village sentry in the daytime. Sasuke was left alone to pursue any adventures that struck his fancy with his classmates and friends, mainly loud-mouthed, hyperactive golden-haired Naruto and blushing little Sakura, their teacher's darling, who always made a great show of preachy reluctance when Sasuke or Naruto proposed an idea that was on the mischievous side, but went along with every escapade without fail and with or without invitation. 

Sasuke hated his companions in mischief, his friends, nearly as much as he loved them. They were stupid, they were annoying and they were bothersome. Since the first day of first grade, they'd both been irresistibly drawn to him for some reason, and they'd continued to refuse to leave him alone, even as he'd brooded, grieving the loss of his mother and father, till they'd become a group. Perhaps it had been the brooding and the grief that had drawn them to him. Loneliness had opened up a hole, an emptiness in his heart that still hadn't been filled, and, as he'd gotten acquainted with them (albeit not altogether willingly), Sasuke had begun to sense some of the same lonesomeness in their hearts. But Naruto's and Sakura's hearts bubbled over and overflowed with some strange thing that Sasuke knew could only be love - longing, desperate love - which sought to fill the hole in his. Yes - regardless of whether or not he realized it, admitted it or even allowed himself to ponder the question, these two loud, pushy idiots had succeeded in filling the hole in Sasuke's heart halfway. And yet there was still a painful gap that he knew could only be filled by Itachi.

Every morning, Sasuke rose as early as he could bear to, but, despite his best efforts, somehow was never earlier than Itachi, who, if he wasn't preparing for work already, was finishing breakfast.

"Big Brother," Sasuke charged up to his older brother to demand, morning after morning, "spend time with me before work. I hardly ever see you anymore. You just run off to work and then when you get back, you rush me off to bed!"

Itachi left off whatever was occupying him long enough to crouch down so that he was on Sasuke's level, most likely in an effort to assuage the anger Sasuke would inevitably feel. He smiled at him, always. Except when he was in trouble, Itachi always seemed to be smiling when Sasuke was around - a faint smile, though his gentle dark eyes were windows to an inner sadness, a sadness of which he never spoke to his little brother.

"Sasuke, I'm sorry. I have to work these long hours because the village needs me. Nothing is more important than the needs of the village."

"Let me stay up so we can play a game together when you get back," Sasuke begged. "At least tell me just one story!"

But Itachi always shook his head. "There's no telling how late i might be out tonight, Sasuke. My work is no excuse for you not to rest properly when you have to get up so early for school."

This morning, Sasuke had cried, "I didn't get up this early for school. I got up this early so I could catch you before you went to work and you'd spend time with me!" His fists had clenched. "You're such a big fat liar, older brother. You just don't want to spend time with me. Sometimes I wake up early and you come out of the room yawning, saying, 'Oh, Sasuke, you're up. I JUST woke up a few minutes ago, but it's time for me to prepare for work!' So the next day I get up even earlier, and THEN you're already cooking breakfast! How does that even work? How does your stupid job even work, older brother? No matter how early I get up or how late I try to stay up or even how early YOU come back from work, you never have time for me - ever! What are you hiding from me? Something terrible and embarrassing. I bet you have a girlfriend you don't want me to know about. I bet you're secretly a big fat drunk!"

The corners of Itachi's lips twitched. His eyes formed arches of genuine mirth. This heightened Sasuke's anger. His eyes bulged, and he stamped his feet.

"Stop giving me that smile, older brother. I know it's fake. Don't you dare laugh at me!"

His arm reared back, and in this moment of madness, he was poised to do something that he himself had never dared to do - strike his older brother. He'd knock the amusement, genuine or feigned, out of his eyes.

"Sasuke." Itachi's own hand left his side in a flash. Sasuke flinched. That hand only had to rise a fraction and hover in the air to make Sasuke's backside clench, reminding him of unpleasant conversations it had shared with that hand in the past. He thought better of his outburst and, in spite of himself, slowly, his arm returned to his side, though his glare was unwavering. Itachi's smile was gone, a fact that gave Sasuke a bit of satisfaction, if not genuine happiness.

"Sasuke, the hours that I must work are the hours that I must work. I have no choice in the matter, and we can't help it if the hours sometimes change a little from day to day."

"Change a little from day to day?" Sasuke snarled. "All they ever do is start earlier and end later the harder I try to spend time with you, older brother. That's why I think you're nothing but a big fat liar!"

He felt the stinging heat of tears at the backs of his eyes. The water filled his eyes filled them with such a rush that scarcely had time to cast them down or avert his gaze to hide the shameful wetness.

"Big brother wants to spend time with you, but it's important for me to work to keep our village safe whenever it has need of me. Remember, that's also your dream, what you wish to do as soon as you're old enough. Because of that, school should take priority over rising or trying to wait up for me. We'll spend time together on our off days. But please don't get up early or try to wait up for me anymore."

Sasuke could scarcely believe his own ears. This time, the tears came dangerously close to falling.

"You don't want me to try to spend time with you." He erupted. "Fine then! I won't. I don't care anymore! And forget about our days off. You'll probably work on Saturday, just like you did last weekend! Older brother, I - I hate you!"

Itachi moved before he could even begin to whirl around and flee with his tears. He poked Sasuke's forehead with two fingers. No matter how many mornings Itachi did this, it always caught Sasuke off-guard when he was angry or sulking and startled him into lifting his eyes. The little gesture always caused him to stumble back a little and pushed his dark bangs into his eyes. When he pushed them aside, he was staring, wet-eyed, into the smiling face of his big brother. That forehead poke had jolted the tears he'd striven to hide so that they'd fallen. The poke was a gesture of affection, of playfulness and of dismissal all at once. It was so like his relationship with Itavhi - his big brother exposed his vulnerabilities as noone else did, made him cry, loved him, but never seemed to take him seriously. And yet - Sasuke wiped his eyes - somehow he couldn't hate him for treating him as if he were a little kid. A ribbon of pink crossed his nose.

"I'm sorry, Otouto. Maybe next time."

Those were the words that always followed that forehead poke. As always, Sasuke said nothing. His porridge went untouched, and he watched as his big brother, who, he assumed, somehow had already eaten his breakfast, rose, turned and headed for the exit.

Each and every school morning was the same. Sasuke crossed the lawn and through the hedge of berry bushes around his house, and, starting up the road that led to the village's primary school, slowed down to bow to the old neighbors, elderly married couples and silver-haired widows, who sat around on their porches, knitting, drinking tea or smoking pipes, because they had too much time at their disposal and too little to do with it. A blush crossed his face. Last year, he'd hated everyone except for Itachi, and he still didn't enjoy the hassle of showing courtesy and deference, but now he knew that if he were ever rude to them, as he was to his annoying classmates, the old neighbors with too much time on their hands would ensure that Itachi heard about it. Sasuke still wasn't certain where Itachi found the time to listen to their complaining considering that he had so little time to spend with Sasuke, but he did. Sasuke continued on his way and passed sixteen-year-old Obito, who was also bowing to an old grandmother for whom he'd run some errand.

I bet he just found her lost cat for her again and now she's paying him with candy - again. I bet he's wasted so much time chatting with her that he's going to be late meeting up with his captain and teammates - again. For an academy graduate, big brother Obito is such a loser. All that idiot and his friends ever do is run around through the forest, serving as "forest patrol." Everybody knows if an enemy tried to attack the village, Older Brother and all the other perimeter guards would stop them before they could ever get into the forest. Why doesn't Obito get a real job? Sasuke flicked his over-long bangs scornfully and headed on for school, leaving the houses behind him.

At the Leaf Academy, where punctuality was concerned,there were a few types of students. There were the early birds, like little Sakura, who was already waiting in the foremost row of Iruka-sensei's classroom, hands folded before her, face bright with the ministrations of soap and water she'd given it and shining with scholarly eagerness. There were the just-in-timers, who always came scurrying in like hunted rabbits.

Then there were the fashionably-late pupils, like Sasuke, who came dragging into the classroom a minute before attendance could be called. As he made his way to his seat, which was to the right of Sakura's), he could feel the eyes of Iruka-sensei on the back of his neck, but, as usual, he pretended to notice noone and nothing.

Iruka-sensei took roll call in alphabetical order. As usual, he yelled Uzumaki Naruto's name the last. He yelled it three times, receiving no answer every time, before some idiot decided to ventriloquize, "Abseeeeeeeent!"

A peal of snickers made its rounds through the room, but Iruka-sensei silenced the laughter with a stern look. Sasuke studiedly stared past the doorway and off at nothing in particular as the one second-grader who belonged to the fourth category in punctuality - those who were just plain late - Uzumaki Naruto - appeared in the doorway, panting as though he'd run a marathon. His blond locks were so badly tousled that Sasuke doubted he'd combed his hair since the day before last.

"Hey, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto gasped. "Am I late?"

Iruka was waiting for him, hands akimbo. "Uzumaki Naruto, what do you think?"

Naruto had enough shame to hang his head. Sakura could be heard groaning beneath the rippling of laughter, "Oh, Naruto!"

Iruka whacked the palm of his hand with his ruler, a gesture that commanded order even before he thundered a command for quiet. In the silence that followed, the young schoolteacher heaved a sigh, but laid the ruler upon his desk, not, as the class had hoped he would, across the backside of the one who truly deserved to be afraid of it.

"School has only been in for two months and you've been marked tardy so many times, Naruto. There's no excuse for you to be late so often. What am I going to do with you?"

"I'm just not good with alarms," little Naruto moaned. "Just look at the bright side, Iruka-sensei; at least they weren't all absences!"

"That is NOT an answer to my question, Naruto!"

Naruto, shoulders sagging, considered the question. Then he straightened up, and his chest swelled. "Just let me graduate so I can become a shinobi already!"

"Is this guy serious?" pineapple-headed, ponytailed, ever-listless Shikamaru Nara muttered.

Sasuke rolled his eyes to heaven and back, and Sakura slumped forward and rested her chin in her hand.

Iruka despaired. "Go to your seat, Naruto." He massaged his forehead. "You'd think even Big brother Kakashi would get tired of hearing about your tardiness from me and say something to you about it himself."

Naruto plunked himself down to the left of Sakura. He folded his arms and grumbled to himself.

"Everyone, take out your books. We're going to review this week's history lesson to prepare for the quiz on Friday. And, Naruto, if youd like to keep talking in class, you can do the recap for us in Sakura's place." Naruto shrank several sizes.

xxxxxxXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxx

"Uzumaki Naruto, you're so behind in every subject, it's unbelievable!"

The kids had flocked out onto the schoolyard for recess, and Sakura was starting in on Naruto, as she usually did, about his seeming inability to remember his lessons. He'd been unable to remember what the connection was between hand signs and chakra, he'd told everyone that Hamura Otsutsuki was the one who had invented jutsu, and he'd been beaten in sparring, not by Sasuke this time, but by Choji of all people.

"I'm trying," came the usual moans from Naruto. "Next time I'll answer every question right and wipe the floor with every other jerk in the room. Just watch me, Sakura!"

Sasuke seated himself upon a fallen log and settled in, prepared to listen to their bickering until he decided he couldn't bear it any longer and lost his temper. After all, it wasn't as if he had anything better to do.

"Don't go around saying things like that, Naruto!" Sakura scolded. "Just because someone beat you in sparring doesn't mean hes a jerk. With the way you're going, you're just going to make a bunch of new enemies!"

With a huge huff, Naruto flopped down beside Sasuke like the idiot he was, throwing the weight of himself butt-first against the wood, but scrambled up, bellowing his discomfort for the world to hear.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried. "Are you ok? Stop being so careless or you'll break your tailbone!"

Narutos eyes streamed. He nursed his backside. "I'm ok. ..."

"Stop treating him like a big stupid baby, Sakura," Sasuke groused, "and why don't you stop acting like one, Naruto? Half the village can hear you every time you open your mouth as it is, idiot!"

"Oh, button up, thunderface. With a friend like you to torture me, who cares about a bunch of new enemies?"

"With a friend like me, you don't need to worry about any enemies, Naruto. You're such a loser, you'd have to hide behind me while I fought them off. Ha!"

Naruto thrust his huge head into Sasuke's personal space. "Want to say that to my face, bastard?"

"You're already in my face, spit-mouth!"

"You snot-nosed jerk, I'll beat some respect into you!" So saying, Naruto swung for Sasuke with all his strength, but his target dodged deftly without even standing, sending him sprawling.

"You mean the same way you beat some respect into Choji today?"

"That does it!" Naruto scrambled up and charged at Sasuke with a roar. This time, it was Sakura who checked him by diving forward and wrapping her arms around him from behind.

"Both of you, stop fighting!"

Naruto stumbled back, then yielded, for little Sakura was surprisingly strong. More than that, though, her distress was evident in her voice. She hated it when Naruto and Sasuke seriously quarreled. Sasuke, looking into her enormous, anxious green eyes and pale, drawn little face, could see in them her fear that a quarrel that spun out of control could end their newborn friendship and make them true enemies once again. Though he'd sooner die than admit to it, her distress worried him.

After a long moment, Naruto yielded. Sasuke watched him blush. Such idiots, both of them, he sniffed to himself. He's going pink just because Sakura's never hugged him before. He probably doesn't realize she only did it because she got worried. I bet he's going to be even more annoying than ever before.

The seconds stretched on, and then, much to Sasuke's relief and just before any little onlookers could recommend marriage to them both, Sakura released Naruto. She reached for the hands of both boys. "Come on, recess is probably halfway over already. If we're really fast, you guys can see the new furniture big brother Obito bought me for my clubhouse before it's time for class!"

Sasuke tugged himself free. "Naruto and I could probably make it to that tree and back, but you're too slow, Sakura." Sakura wilted.

Of course, Naruto opened his foghorn of a mouth. "You take that back! Sakura isn't slow. I bet Sakura's the fastest girl in all of Konoha!"

Sakura turned red. Because he was a complete idiot, Naruto didn't realize just how wrong his attempt at a compliment had sounded. Sasuke couldn't help but to smirk to himself, I guess she'd have to have been the "fastest" girl in all of Konoha to want to hug you, loser, but, in the interest of peace, decided to do the virtuous thing and change the subject.

"It wouldn't be worth it, anyway." He got to his feet with a flick of his bangs. "If we're going to leave the school grounds to do anything during recess, we might as well not bother trying to come back in time for class."

Sakura was horrified, while Naruto regarded Sasuke as if he'd sprouted an extra head.

"Miss class? Sasuke, you'd never do a thing like that!"

"You mean just play hooky on purpose?. . . Are you the real Sasuke or a clone?"

"What do you mean I'd never do a thing like that? You two wouldn't miss a class on purpose, but the real Sasuke does whatever he wants to do. I dont need to take Iruka-sensei's lessons today, whatever they are. It will just be more of the same warmed-over crap we've already gone over. You two can do what you want, but I'm going out into the forest to practice with my shuriken."

Naruto's words of bewilderment and objection died on his tongue. Starry-eyed, he dove forward. "Wow, shuriken! Real ones, not a wooden one, right? And you get to practice with it anytime you want?"

Sasuke sauntered off for the forest without sparing his friends a second glance. "Of course I've got my own real shuriken. I'm an Uchiha; I don't have to go by the stupid playground rules Iruka-sensei set. Well? Are you two coming or not?"

Naruto hesitated, held back by his conscience. "If I come, do I get to I train with it, too?"

"Fine."

"YEAH!"

Sakura's longing for a chance to hold and utilize a real weapon was waging a much longer war with her conscience than Naruto's eagerness had waged with his. She twisted the ends of her hair. "We don't even know how to hold shuriken yet, Naruto. We just can't leave school! What would big brother Obito and Mister Kakashi say?"

Sasuke was already headed for the edge of the schoolyard. He called back, "You don't have to come if you don't want to, Sakura."

Of course, seeing that her companions were on their way and unwilling to be left behind, Sakura hurried after them, as expected, and soon the little group had vanished into the forest.

xxxxxxXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxx

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto wanted to know as he scampered to keep pace with him, "how come you never told us you were allowed to train with real shuriken before?"

Sasuke put a protective hand to his pocket, where the shuriken was. "Because it was none of your business before. Now be quiet."

Sakura gazed into Sasuke's face and knew at once that he was lying.

"Quit staring at me like that," Sasuke snapped. "I told you you didn't have to come if you didn't want to!"

"She's not doing anything wrong," Naruto shot back. "You don't need to yell at her!"

The guilt silenced Sasuke. The truth was that he'd gotten his hands on this shuriken without Itachi's knowledge. Since the deaths of his parents, on school days it seemed that Sasuke woke up, learned and trained at the academy, and spent what remained of each afternoon with Sakura and Naruto before hurrying home at sunset, though nothing and noone was there to greet him, except for a foil-wrapped dinner, or to see that he'd returned on time and waiting for the return of his brother, who came in at last, spoke a few words to him and then often forced him to go to bed soon after. On some happy weekend days, Itachi gave him special training, and he ached to be as frighteningly good at hitting targets as Itachi was, but when he was busy, Sasuke was no longer allowed to use the real shuriken independently as he had in the days before. So today, he was taking his time, his training and his entertainment into his own hands. However, he didn't feel nearly as nonchalant as his behavior suggested. This was one instance of wrongdoing that Itachi would most certainly learn of. He didn't know what big brother Obito the loser would say about Sasuke's behavior or what big brother Kakashi, to whom Obito had given the Sharingan after his near-fatal accident, would say about Naruto's. Naruto had played hooky once last year and was no stranger to troublemaking, but the thought of Sakura getting into serious trouble made him truly wish she had stayed behind - even if, whether he admitted to it or not, he longed for the company of his friends.

Sasuke didn't know, either, exactly what Itachi would say about his escapade, but he suspected that he would probably say most of what he had to say with his hand and to his backside. The thought made his stomach twist into knots of dread, a feeling that he tried to push down. Then he caught himself thinking, Well, if he has to hit me, he'll make time to do THAT no matter how late he'd usually complain about it being - and he began to wonder whether, in spite of the pangs of dread, a part of him wanted to upset Itachi. He pushed those thoughts down, too. They were stupid thoughts. He worshipped his big brother; he wasn't some attention-seeking, misbehaving toddler or an idiot like Naruto. But then - why was he pulling this stunt when he knew what the consequences might be?

Because I'm sick of sitting around in a stupid classroom listening to things I already know all day while Itachi works all the time instead of training me or spending time with me. I'll do what I want to!

They stopped in a clearing, and Sasuke threw his shuriken at a target Naruto drew in the damp bark of a tree. Though he almost hit the center, it was still a miss, much to his frustration. Sasuke's arms stiffened.

Sakura, however, breathed, "Sasuke, that's so awesome!"

Sasuke's anger abated immediately, and he blushed, concealing the beginnings of a smile. He tried again and hit closer to the center. After many tries, he hit the eye of the target, at last.

Naruto had to conceal his admiration, but couldn't conceal and could scarcely contain his longing. Sakura's eyes were huge.

"You actually did it!"

Sasuke managed to hit the eye of the target a second time.

"This isn't the first time I've ever hit it, but it always takes me so many tries." He plucked the shuriken from the bark, backed away and threw again. "I want to hit the eye every single time, and then I want to hit it every time even from far away, and then I want to be able to throw five different shuriken with my wrists crossed and hit a target with each one like Older Brother can."

Itachi had visited the Academy once to give a demonstration, but Naruto's and Sakura's minds still boggled at the thought of having the ability to hit more than one target with one throw. Naruto, unable to contain himself any longer, burst. "Let me give it a shot! I know i can hit the eye. Come on, let me try!"

"Naruto, Sasuke could only hit it after trying again and again!" Sakura pointed out. "Don't be stupid."

"Telling Naruto not to be stupid is like telling you not to have pink hair. You have to know how to hold it right before you can throw it, dummy."

Sasuke demonstrated the proper holding of a shuriken for his friends. Naruto, however, seized the shuriken without permission. He threw with all his power. As expected, it ended up buried halfway into the tree and missed the target by a long shot.

"You're pretty strong," Sasuke admitted begrudgingly, "and it's cool you were able to throw a heavy metal shuriken vertically on the first try. But your aim is really bad."

Sakura, having been infected by Naruto's buoyant spirit, declared, "I can throw it, too. Just watch me!"

Sasuke, though he didn't think it was wise since neither of them had practiced holding a real shuriken before today, relented. "Here. Hold it this way."

With his coaching, Sakura held the shuriken properly. She then threw it. The shuriken flew sideways, neither vertically nor horizontally, and fell short of its mark.

Naruto contributed his boisterous encouragement. "Throw harder, Sakura! Don't be scared of that shuriken. You can hit it! Show that target who's boss!"

Sakura ran over and retrieved the shuriken before Sasuke could warn her not to. She backed up and attempted another throw, much more forceful than the last one. Much to the horror of her friends, however, instead of sailing forward, the shuriken flipped baxkwards. One of its points bit into the gap between her forefinger and thumb.

Naruto was at her side in a flash. "Sakura!"

Sasuke could feel the same cry hurtling up through him, but it couldn't make its way past his throat. On unsteady legs, he made his way over and fell to his knees beside Sakura.

She'd begun to pull the shuriken out, but had succeeded only in cutting another finger and causing more blood to flow from the first wound. Tears streamed down her cheeks as well as Naruto's.

"Leave it alone, both of you. You're just making it worse." Sasuke had to swallow a lump in his throat to speak. He gripped the shuriken between the points as he'd been taught and extracted it from Sakura's hand despite the unsteadiness of his own. Then they were looking at a blood-stained shuriken - the first blood-stained weapon they had ever laid eyes upon.

Sakura, clutching the wrist of the wounded hand, fought to dam her tears. The blood had formed a thin stream that ran past her elbow.

"It doesn't hurt," she managed out. "I know how to wash it and put a bandage on it. I have some in my pocket; big sister Rin gave them to me."

"Don't be a dummy, Sakura." Sasuke spoke more roughly than he meant to. "You're bleeding. You have to see a healer!"

"Sasuke's right, Sakura." Naruto's blue eyes were filled with worry.

"It's all my fault for grabbing the shuriken when I didn't know how to hold it. I'm so stupid." Sakura wiped her eyes with the back of her uninjured arm. Tears dripped onto her dress. "We'll get in trouble for staying out past recess. I don't want to ruin everything by being - useless."

Sasuke agreed with Sakura's first statement, at least. As he wiped the blood away with a leaf, Naruto managed to persuade Sakura to stop crying by making her smile with a horrible joke. She then gingerly held back one of the lips of the cut, painful though it is, before bandaging it.

"Big sister Rin taught me about deep cuts and skin cuts. The shuriken only got the first few layers of skin, so I'll be ok. I don't need to see a healer. Maybe if I bandage it up, by the time we go back to school, it will just be a light pink scar."

Naruto examined the cut. His worry was still apparent in his eyes, but he relented. "I guess you know more about healing than we do."

Sasuke harboured some doubts. Furthermore, he knew what Sakura was preparing to ask him when she turned to face him, armed with a sunny grin.

"Can I have one more try, Sasuke? Please?"

Sasuke permitted her and Naruto a few more attempts. Like Naruto, she was strong when she threw confidently, but her aim was off, and half of the time she lost her nerve midthrow.

"You're cutting up your bandages now, Sakura," Sasuke scolded her. "We need that like we need a hole in the head."

Using his kunai, he began to to whittle a wooden shuriken for her out of a crisscross of sticks, but Naruto moaned about how boring a wooden shuriken would be.

"Naruto's right," Sakura chimed in. "We can play with wooden shuriken at the Academy anytime!"

"YOU can play with wooden shuriken at the Academy, Sakura," Sasuke snapped, "because you never get in trouble for anything, but Naruto and I are going to get killed as soon as we go back to school, so we're trying to make this worthwhile, RIGHT, Naruto? So quit complaining, both of you!"

"Okay, Sasuke," was Sakura's meek reply.

Sasuke continued his whittling. "I'll leave most of the shuriken round, but the tips will be sharp so they can still hit the target."

As he carved, the kunai recoiled and nicked his fingers a few times, but Sakura bandaged them. The children forgot the shuriken for a while and all had fun fashioning weapons out of sticks and discarded soda cans, taking turns using Sasuke's kunai as a carving knife. They were all comparing their handiwork when Iruka-sensei, who had come upon them stealthily, materialized in the clearing.

Weapons fell from every hand. Naruto and Sakura exclaimed, "Iruka-sensei!"

Noone could say anything more than that. Naruto gulped audibly, and Sasuke could hear the wheels turning in his tiny brain as he rummaged through it for a good story. Sakura was pale, and her eyes were beginning to dampen. As for Sasuke, he said nothing at all. After a moment or two, he turned his head and did his best to appear haughty and sullen.

In a flash, though, Iruka was kneeling before them, and his arms are around all three of his wayward pupils. Sasuke's eyes flew wide open.

"Iruka. . .sensei." Naruto spoke with difficulty. "You're. . .cracking my ribs."

Sakura teared up, and the dam broke. "I'm sorry, Iruka-sensei! We're so sorry!" Her voice was muffled by the crook if his neck, into which she'd buried her face. "We just wanted to train and have fun for a while; we didn't mean to -!"

Iruka drew back. "There's no excuse, Sakura!" All three children were startled. Iruka had never raised his voice to Sakuea, his class darling, in reprimand. "Do you realize how much danger you put yourself in, running around in the forest without an adult? Naruto!" Naruto snapped to attention. "Didn't we TALK about this last year? Sasuke!" Sasuke flinched, but deemed it wisest to erase some of the scowl from his face before Iruka took the erasing into his own hands right then and there. Iruka rarely scolded him, but when he did get riled, Sasuke knew better than to push him too much. "Shouldn't you know better? We've practically missed the rest of the school day because of this. If I hadn't found you just now, if I hadn't looked any farther for you, I would have had to get the forest patrol! Is that what you wanted?"

Sakura's weeping became more profuse. She clung to Iruka's leg. "We're sorry, Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka-sensei thinks she's crying that much harder because shes sorry, Sasuke observed dryly, but it's mostly because big brother Obito the loser is in the forest patrol. Things would have gotten really embarrassing if he'd gotten involved with finding her out here playing hooky.

Naruto studied his shoes. "Yeah. We're really sorry, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka's gaze comes to rest expectantly on Sasuke's head. "Sasuke!"

Sasuke fidgeted in place, but at length, he muttered a curt, tight-lipped, "Sorry."

"Uchiha Sasuke! Is that all you've got to say?"

"What do you expect, Iruka-sensei?" Sasuke cried. "Do you want me to break down and blubber all over you like Sakura's doing?"

"What I want is something just a bit more sincere considering everything you put me through!"

Iruka got a grip on himself. He seemed to see the futility of yelling. He inhaled deeply, then released the sigh through his nose.

"Come on back with me, you three. I might as well let everyone know you're safe and dismiss class."

Sakura surrendered her hand to Iruka. Her voice was tiny. "Are you going to send a note home?"

"What do YOU think, Sakura?"

Iruka halted and pulled her in front of him. He'd taken notice of the bandages. "Sakura! What happened?"

The thought of a note had reduced Sakura to tears once again. In the end, Naruto had to explain about the shuriken and show Iruka his own bandaged hands. Iruka inspected the wounds on all three pairs of hands, though he almost had to wrestle Sasuke to examine it. "Sakura's cut is deep." He scooped the little girl up, then stood and quickened his pace. "Walk quickly, Naruto, Sasuke. We have to have all of you treated immediately."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When it was determined that Sakura wouldn't have to have stitches, her wounds, Naruto's and Sasuke's were all properly disinfected and rebandaged by the school healer. Iruka dismissed class soon afterwards, and they sat side by side in the hall, dangling their feet and waiting, till the flood of emancipated students came to an end and their teacher, appearing as drained as he ever had, appeared to walk them home.

As they walked, Naruto gave Sakura's hand a reassuring squeeze. Sakura returned it with a shaky smile, then timidly reached for Sasuke's hand. Sasuke didn't rebuff her. They were all in need of a little bit of comfort, though perhaps Sasuke and Sakura, who didn't get into major trouble nearly as often as Naruto did, were more in need than he was.

Sakura was the first to be dropped off. Pretty, gentle Rin came to the door, but, upon sighting her husband, who was home now, Sakura hurried past her and dove into his arms.

"I'm sorry, big brother Obito." The waterworks came on. "Please don't hate me!"

Rin took a bewildered step back. "Iruka? What happened?"

"I'm sorry, Obito, Rin. Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto left school to play in the forest. I found them, but Sakura got cut on Sasuke's shuriken. The school healer disinfected the cut for her, but you might want to have another look at it, Rin." Iruka deposited the teachers note into her hand and turned to leave the scene, grateful to have one-third of the unpleasant business finished.

Naruto and Sasuke, however, lingered in the doorway, and their teacher hadn't the heart to urge them to come on. Sakura sat on the couch between her two caretakers to allow Rin to inspect the cut.

"You're so lucky. You could have been cut a little deeper than this and been forced to get stitches. You must never, ever play around with a real weapon, Sakura. You know better!"

"But, big sister Rin," Sakura quavered, "Sasuke. . ."

Obito's eyelid twitched. Naruto and Sasuke fell back a little. They'd never seen him become this angry and were reconsidering their lack of respect for him. "Sasuke's son of an elite Uchiha, Sakura-chan, so don't you dare use him as an excuse or example! Besides, even Sasuke should know better than to treat a shuriken like a toy!"

Naruto began to make himself scarce, step by slow step, as did Sasuke, justifying his cowardice by reminding himself that their presence would probably embarrass Sakura. Still, as they shut the door and retreated, they could hear the goings-on inside.

"You missed half a day of school, gave yourself a dangerous cut with a dirty shuriken you shouldn't have had and then bandaged it up and went on playing instead of taking it to get cleaned properly! Were you TRYING to get an infection?"

"I'm sorry, big brother Obito," Sakura could be heard pleading.

"Good. So am I. I'm sorry you got hurt and put yourself in danger. Go in your room and wait for me."

Sakura's crying was the last thing that either boy heard before they caught up with their teacher. Iruka could guess what they'd heard by the looks on their faces. The guilt that he felt was almost unbearable, and for a moment, he considered tossing the two remaining notes into a nearby puddle and making a beeline for his own home. It would have been easier on all of them if he'd detained them after school and scolded them again or even punished them himself. But then, how well had that course of action worked for knuckleheaded Naruto so far? His last wooden yardstick had snapped in half over the little boys clothed backside once before, and he seemed to spend one-fifth of his life in detention or timeout. No - Iruka had to allow this little adventure to be Obito's, Itachi's and Kakashi's problem, no matter how badly it broke his heart.

xxxxxxXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxx

Naruto was dropped off at Kakashi's place, and Sasuke was dropped off at Itachi's. He was left alone with a foil-wrapped dinner, a note that seemed to weigh a hundred pounds, and nothing to do but wait.

The sun was setting. Sasuke choked down a morsel of dinner, then decided that he wasn't hungry. In the end, as nightfall approached, he dragged himself to his room to do his waiting and lay facedown on the bed.

At last, Sasuke heard the rustling of the doorknob and Itachi's tread, swift, light, completely inaudible to all except those who were well-acquainted with him. The door shut.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke found himself swallowing. His mouth was dry. He could hear a soft shuffling and was certain Itachi was picking the note up. In a moment, he was certain, he'd hear him leafing through it.

Instead, with a creak, his door opened. Sasuke rolled over to his side to find Itachi filling the doorway.

"Older Brother!"

The envelope was in Itachi's hand - unopened. He was sitting on the bed beside Sasuke before he realized what was happening.

"Otouto, you're never in your room at this hour." He touched the tiny forehead with his thumb. "Are you sick?"

Sasuke couldn't speak. He could only shake his head dumbly. He fell forward before he could contain himself, burying his face into his brother's chest. He felt the cursed wetness at the rims of his eyes.

Older Brother had made a few minutes for him this evening, not to hit him - not yet, anyway - but because he was worried about him.

Sasuke could feel Itachi's surprise, but soon after, he passed his hand over his little brother's hair.

"There, there." He stroked Sasuke's hair again and again. "When I saw the note lying there and I didn't see your face, it worried me. What happened? Was it something to do with school?"

Sasuke, with his face still hidden in Itachi's chest, shook his head, then shrugged, then, with great reluctance, gave a tiny nod. No good would come of lying. He stiffened when he heard the rustling of paper and knew that the note was being opened. The silence seemed to last for an eternity.

"Sasuke." Sasuke flinched. He hadn't entertained any hope of hearing a cheerful, pleasant tone of voice, but there was an edge to Itachi's voice - an edge that sounded like a tinge of anger. Slowly, he drew back to study his face. But that was impossible, for Itachi never got angry.

Itachi was calm, but the look in his eyes was an unmistakable one - they flashed. His voice was too cool and too calm, too restrained. He held the note up. "Sasuke. Otouto, did you take a shuriken without my permission, wander far away from the Academy without an adult, play with the shuriken unsupervised and skip the later half of your school day with this foolish stunt?"

Sasuke's gaze fell to linger on his blankets. Knowing that there was no way to get out of a reprimand or the punishment that would follow, he saw no point in trying to be docile, be apologetic or make things better.

Itachi tilted his chin with his fingers so that their eyes met. "I don't want to believe that you would do something so foolish or so wrong, but you must answer me, Sasuke."

Sasuke wrenched away. He gripped the bedsheets with his knuckles. "I wasn't playing, older brother, I was training! I hit the eye of the target two times in a row today, then three times. If you don't want to help me train - well - that's fine. But I'm going to train anyway till I'm as good as you. I'm not some stupid baby who can't hold a shuriken right!"

"If that's so, Sasuke, then why are your fingers all covered with bandages?"

Sasuke crossed his arms with a defiant little jerk. "I made wooden shuriken for Naruto and Sakura so they wouldn't need mine. I used my kunai!"

"Then you handled a kunai by yourself without permission."

Sasuke kept his gaze averted and his shoulders hunched. He gulped before he spoke. "You can h-hit me if you want to. I don't care."

Another long silence followed. Then, wordlessly, Itachi rose and headed for the kitchen.

Sasuke, feeling apprehensive, got up and trailed him. He came to stand in the doorway just in time to see Itachi step over to the stove, reach up and take the belt down. He adjusted the loop in his hand, causing the buckle to tinkle.

Sasuke's stomach plummeted. His eyes doubled in size. He almost choked out his words.

"Big brother, no. Older Brother, please! Please don't use that. . ."

Itachi approached him, but came to stand a few feet away. "I've told you again and again never to handle a real weapon unless someone was there to help you. You know better than to wander off and get lost, and you have never skipped school or even been tardy. Why did you disobey today, Sasuke?"

Sasuke's eyes were swimming, and he was no longer concerned about his pride. "Big brother, don't beat me with that. I promise I have a good reason!"

Itachi pulled the belt through a slot in his free hand, then let it go with a snap.. "If you weren't forced, then it makes no difference to me whether you have one reason or a hundred. I'll still lash you. Lower your shorts and underwear and bend over a chair or your bed, Sasuke."

"Big brother, please!" Sasuke realized then that Itachi wanted to use the belt because he put himself in danger. "I'm sorry. I apologize, I wont do it again! Just give me one last chance!"

Itachi drew closer. "One last chance to do what? To disobey Iruka-sensei and me and put yourself in danger again or to tarnish your school record? Bare yourself and bend over so I can properly spank you, Sasuke. The sooner that I start this, the sooner it will end and the sioner you can get to bed and rest for school tomorrow."

Sasuke made his way, stiff-legged, over to the nearest chair. He lowered his pants and underwear and then lowered himself over the seat.

Itachi was already standing behind him, the belt at his side. He stood over him, and the belt rears back and came thundering across Sasuke's bottom in the first searing stripe. Sasuke lurched forward and screamed.

"Big brother, please!"

"Sasuke, stay in place, or I'll have to start from the beginning." The fiery lashes continued to land, leather against naked skin. "Suppose you, Naruto and Sakura had all gotten infections from those cuts that you carelessly gave yourselves and didn't tend to for hours? Suppose you'd been attacked by bandits or criminals? Do you think that none of our enemies would want to lay their hands on an Uchiha? Do you think that because you can hold a shuriken, you're invincible and can't be hurt, Sasuke?"

Sasuke's tears flowed fast. As desperate to avoid causing the spanking to restart as he was to avoid the pain, he fought not to scramble up off of the chair. The belt continued to lick his upturned bottom and thighs. Each time the belt crossed his backside, it left a stripe of red and a light pink welt behind.

After several licks, Sasuke's hands flew back to shield him. He stood up. "I won't do it again. Just let me explain, please!"

"Move your hands and bend over, Sasuke." The belt striped his unprotected thighs a few times. Sasuke stumbled forward, but couldn't escape. "You can explain why you foolishly put yourself in danger while I lash you. But there's never any excuse, no matter what you say!

"Big brother has a duty to face the dangers that might otherwise threaten you so that you don't have to face them." Sasuke's bottom was on fire, and the heat was steadily growing beneath the attack of the swinging belt. "It's for that reason that I serve the village as a perimeter guard. I know that you'll become a powerful shinobi someday. But for you, a seven-year-old child in the academy, my little brother whom I must protect - no, for you at any age to throw your safety or your life away for a frivolous reason is one of the stupidest, cruelest and most wicked things you could do!"

Sasuke continued to take the searing licks. He shifted beneath the belt, raking the floor with the soles of his feet.

"I've learned my lesson! Older brother, please, it hurts. I won't be stupid again. I swear!"

A few more thunderous cracks, and it was over. Sasuke heard the belt being laid put to rest on the table and knew that he was permitted to stand. He staggered to his feet and stood unsteadily. He managed to gulp down several sobs, which he'd save for later. He pulled his underwear and pants back up and tried not to react to the rubbing of fabric against hot, welted skin.

Itachi went over to return the belt to its place on the wall. When he heard it dangling there, Sasuke knew that he was no longer in danger. Wiping his flowing eyes, he went off to his room and shut the door.

In bed, with the lights out, Sasuke buried his face into a pillow and released all of the tears that he'd swallowed after the end of the spanking. Sobs racked his little body. His tears formed a puddle on his pillow, a puddle made up of all of his feelings - relief that it was all over, painful remorse, anger, resentment, sadness and self-pity. He didn't bother to rub or try to soothe the stinging in his backside, but let it burn - whether to punish himself or as an attempt to hit back against Itachi or against the world somehow, he didn't know anymore. He only knew that Itachi wouldn't give him another chance to really explain why he'd gone on his adventure and it wasn't fair. He'd realized that Itachi had made up his mind to hit him with the belt because he'd endangered himself, but Itachi hadn't listened to his point of view in return or even to his apology. Now, as usual, he had to go to bed - alone.

Sasuke, drained from crying, rolled over to stare at the ceiling with blurred vision, arms folded across his chest. Tears continues to trickle. Well, that suited him just fine. He didn't want to see Older Brother's face, anyway. He wouldn't go on another adventure like that anytime in the near future, it was true. But when he did, he'd be sure never to come back. He didn't need stupid Itachi's help to become a powerful shinobi.

Sasuke could hear sizzling and the clattering of pots and pans. So, after getting rid of Sasuke, Itachi had decided to prepare a fresh, hot meal for himself. The aromas of garlic and onion drifted into the bedroom, and Sasuke's stomach growled, reminding him of his uneaten supper. He took the edge off of his hungry by indulging in another helping of self-pity. He also listened to the crackling of oil and hoped that at least one bubble burst with enough force to burn Itachi or scald him at least a little. Perhaps then he'd understand a tiny bit of the hurt Sasuke felt.

Everything went silent in the kitchen. Then the door opened, allowing light to spill into the room around Itachi's tall, dark silhouette.

"Sasuke?" He stood there with a tray in his hand. "Are you awake?"

Slowly, Sasuke sat up, and the light came on. Itachi took one look at the tearstained little face and red-webbed eyes. He came over and, setting the tray at the bedside, opened his arms for Sasuke.

Resentment warred with his longing for a moment, but Sasuke gave in and went into his brother's arms.

Itachi rocked him, returning the embrace this time. Sasuke shut his eyes. A few more tears squeezed their way out. Reaching down, Itachi dabbed them away.

"I'm so sorry, Otouto. I wanted to come to you and comfort you, but when you walked away, I thought that you wanted to be alone then. I wanted to respect your wishes."

Stupid Older Brother. Sasuke, still clinging to him, shook his head.

"I never.. . . want to be alone." His voice was muffled by Itachi's shirt. "Not. . .from you. Big brother, I. . .just wanted . . .wanted. . ."

"I know." Itachi went on stroking his hair. "Shhhhhhhh. I know, Otouto. You went off with Naruto and Sakura because you were angry with me. Is that true?"

Sasuke nodded again. The last remnants of a sob came out in a shuddering sigh, along with the last few tears.

Itachi drew him back. "Here." He handed him a bowl of hot soup and a mug of tea.

Sasuke drank the soup as though he hadn't been fed in days, but it filled and warmed him quickly. Itachi rubbed the small back.

"Sasuke, the village is the most precious place to me, but you are the most important person to me. I serve as a protector for the village not only for the sake of the community, but so that I can protect you. If I lost you, I'd continue to love and serve the village, but my life would lose all happiness and joy. I thought you understood, but I realize now that I never told you. After Mother and Father died, I gained the role of a parent along with the role of a big brother and have been failing miserably at both roles. More than that. . . I've never considered all of the confusion that you must feel about this. I can't be a good parent like Mother and Father, and I might not be a good big brother, but I will try. If I try to explain what I can to you, I hope you will try to accept the things that I can't explain. I can protect you and love you with all of my heart, and I hope that will be enough. You are all that I have left of light in the world and I do all that I do for you, so, I beg you, please, for big brother's sake, don't throw yourself away."

Sasuke dove into his lap and pressed his cheek to Itachi's. He managed out, "I won't do it again."

Itachi gave him one last squeeze, then moved him away. "Go to bed now, Otouto. We'll talk again this Saturday."

It took a moment for Sasuke to realize that this meant Itachi would spend more time with him this Saturday. He climbed into bed with a peaceful heart and without complaints. Never before had the blankets felt so delicious.

Even after closing his eyes, he could feel Itachi's cool hand caressing his forehead. The wall between reality and the dreamworld became fuzzy, and for a moment, his hand was Mother's hand, then Father's. The sensation of tender stroking followed him into his dreams.

Hey there! I hang out on a new discord server that galaxyqueenie started. Join it if you are interested in non sexual spanking fanfics, roleplay, and other fun stuff!❤️: https://discord.gg/YvKrZKD


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura lay facedown on her bed and sobbed. She'd clung to Obito's leg, cried and apologized, but he had been unmoved. He'd ordered her again to go to her room and wait for him, then had turned away and become deaf to her. To a little girl whose language of persuasion practically consisted of tears, few things were worse.

Sakura seldom misbehaved at school, and on the occasion that she did err, she was usually so quick to remorse and to tears that Iruka-sensei could scarcely bring himself to scold her. Mama and Papa, whose faces lived in the locket that hung around Sakura's neck, hidden from all other eyes, had bequeathed to her their dreams for her. They had wanted her to be good, hardworking and smart, and Sakura also wanted to be all of those things. She wasn't strong, though she desperately wanted to be, but she could, at the present, be good, hardworking and smart. She achieved the highest scores on paperwork in Iruka-sensei's class, took herself to school, but was never tardy, had never been sent home with a note for misbehavior before today and had only received a spanking from Iruka-sensei once.

That had happened last year, not long after the beginning of the school year. Naruto, who had forged his reputation as the class troublemaker, had asked her to be his girlfriend at recess, and she'd socked him in response. Some of the onlooking children had laughed, but Shikamaru had told Iruka-sensei, who had called Sakura in.

"Sakura, I'm shocked and disappointed by your behavior!"

"But, Iruka-sensei," Sakura had protested, eyes dampening already at the thought of having disappointed her beloved teacher, "Naruto's annoying and he's always acting up in class - and he touches roaches and he has a dried-up booger in his nose!"

"If Naruto has a dried-up booger in his nose and you don't like seeing it, then offer him a damp napkin so that he can get it out. I know that some of his actions can be irritating. But there's never any excuse to hit our comrades and classmates, no matter how we feel about them!"

Iruka-sensei had bent Sakura over his knee and had delivered a handful of crisp swats with the ruler. For Sakura, the disgrace of it all had been more painful than the swats had been. Even Naruto, in spite of his behavior, hadn't yet received a classroom spanking, for Iruka-sensei seemed to do his best to ignore his performances. As if that hadn't been bad enough, Sasuke had been there in the classroom to witness her punishment.

Sakura had sat on Iruka-sensei's lap afterwards to cry all of her shame and remorse out in his arms. Then recess had ended and Iruka-sensei had called his other students in. Naruto, however, had gone missing. Iruka-sensei had left school grounds to find him, and, after what had seemed to be an eternity, had returned the little boy safe and unharmed. Then, for the first time in a long while, he had actually scolded Naruto and, to the shock of everyone, had promised to detain him after dismissal and spank him.

Not until then had it occurred to Sakura that although Iruka-sensei had never spanked Naruto, he had never embraced or cuddled him, either, as he had most of his other students.

"Sakura, sweetie, I don't like to hear that Naruto's been getting on your nerves," Rin had told her on the walk home. "But you should apologize to him for hitting him when you see him tomorrow."

"But, big sister Rin," Sakura had protested, "I already got punished by Iruka-sensei. And i don't like Uzumaki Naruto!"

She had felt the warmth of Obito's big hand on her head. He'd stroked her forehead, the facial feature that had caused her so much shame before Yamanaki Ino had befriended her, with his thumb.

"You know, Sakura-chan, I think in some ways, Naruto's a little bit like . . .like you."

Sakura had bristled at the thought. "I'm not loud and dirty and a troublemaker, big brother Obito!"

"No, you're the opposite. You're our good, sweet and quiet Sakura-chan."

Sakura had lifted her eyes to study Obito's face. "Then. . .what do you mean?"

"You may not be a loud, dirty troublemaker. But, just like Naruto, you

know what it's like to be lonely. Don't you?"

No reply had come from Sakura, who had been silent all through the rest of the walk home.

I. . .I do know what it's like to be lonely. I know how it feels. After I lost Mama and Papa, I felt lonely. Even after big brother Obito took me in, I was still so lonely. Then big brother Obito told me that he lost his mama and papa when he was little, too. That made the loneliness go away. . .until I started trying to make friends. The other kids teased me for having a big forehead. . .and the kids of the shinobi would pick on me, too, because I'm a nobody from a plain old nobody clan. Then. . . Ino stood up for me and made my loneliness go away again.

Sasuke . . . Sasuke's lonely. I know because he lost his mama and papa when he was big enough to remember - and because he's always angry and quiet and sad. That's why . . .why I want to make his loneliness go away the way big sister Rin and big brother Obito and Ino made mine go away. But . . . Naruto? He's always been the kid who didn't have any family - no parents, not even a clan that anybody knows anything about. I don't think he even knows who his parents are or what they look like. He's always been the loud, annoying, goofy kid that nobody wanted to play with or be around. All the grownups didn't like him and didn't pay any attention to him, so why should we kids be nice to him? He's always just been the bad kid who got bad grades all the time and tried to start fights with Sasuke and pulled pranks and laughed about them. Could a kid as loud and goofy as he is. . . really. . .be lonely?

But. . .now he's going to live with Kakashi of the Sharingan, the boy big brother Obito gave his eye to. . .and we don't know anything about him except that he's strange and really scary. Naruto didn't seem scared. But he's Naruto. He's probably too stupid to be scared. . .or too lonely to care who he's going to live with. He's never had a mom or dad or a big brother or sister to take care of him. Can. . .somebody as scary as Mister Kakashi. . . really help take Naruto's loneliness away?

As her house, her very own cozy home, had come into view, Sakura had stuck one hand into Obito's and the other into Rin's. I don't know for sure. But now I know that next to Mama and Papa. . . I love big brother Obito and big sister Rin - more than anything in the world.

It was true that Sakura almost never got in trouble at school. At home, however, it was a slightly different story. While she was a good girl, she'd still earned a good handful of punishments from her caretakers, mainly from Obito. Unlike with other adults, her crying never swayed Obito or even bought her leniency. From where she lay in her room, she could hear Rin speaking softly to Obito, discussing this very matter.

"Darling, it's up to you, but you could let this one go. What she did was dangerous and against the rules, but she just wanted to be a friend to Naruto and Sasuke, and we both know how they are. Besides, she seems like she's really sorry."

"Sweetpea," Obito groaned in what Sakura had come to recognize as his "back-me-up-here-will-you" tone of voice. "I know Sakura-chan too well to be fooled by all of that crying. I'm surprised you haven't caught onto it by now. Can't you see? Sakura-chan cries when things get hard because she doesn't know how else to cope. I can tell when she's sorry about what she's done and when she isn't, and today the only thing she's sorry about is the fact she's in trouble."

Sakura buried her face into her pillow. More murmurs were exchanged, too low for the words to be audible to her, and then a long silence followed, one seemed to stretch on for centuries. The silence was broken by the sound of Obito's approaching footsteps.

As the door opened, Sakura lifted her head and fastened her sad eyes to his stern face. He shut the door to afford her some privacy and to spare Rin some of the distress of hearing the goings-on.

Coming over, Obito sat upon the bed with his back to the headboard. Sakura covered her tear-drenched face. "Please, please, big brother Obito, I'm sorry. Please don't hurt me!"

Obito was unfazed. He patted his lap a few times. "I love you and would never hurt you, Sakura-chan. Take your skirt and underwear off and get on my lap. Give me about three minutes and this will be finished."

Sakura took his calloused hand between her tiny ones in a desperate attempt to persuade him, if not to restrain him. "But I can behave from now on, I promise! I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I told Iruka-sensei I was sorry. I won't leave school again. . .!"

Obito, still calm, gave a tug or two, but otherwise didn't bother trying to wrangle with her to free his hand. "Let go of my hand, Sakura-chan. For each time I have to tell you to let go, your spanking will be a minute longer."

"But I c-c-cant," Sakura managed out. "Big brother Obito, I'm scared. Please, please, I'll go to bed early, and I won't have anything to eat. I'll be really good tonight, I promise. . .!"

"Four minutes it is, then."

Obito's hand fell from hers like dead weight. Sakura gazed up at him with woeful, reproachful green eyes.

"Now bare your butt and lie down over my lap. I'm not going to tell you again. Do you want to make this harder for yourself, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura had no desire to make this harder for herself. Though she didn't remove her sad eyes from Obito, she took her skirt and underwear off. A moment later, she was lying across his lap.

Obito's hand came to rest upon her bottom for less than a second, then, raising his hand, he began to light into it. Instantly Sakura was squirming, kicking and pounding the bed with her feet. Her screaming could be heard in every corner of the house.

Obito didn't slow or relent. Beneath the smacks, Sakura's bottom practically crackled with rapidly-increasing heat.

"First off, don't you ever, ever try to get around me with those little puppy-eyed games. I love you too much to let you get away with that bullshit! And don't you dare - try to use big sister Rin or Iruka-sensei to get around me!"

"I wasn't!" Sakura trembled beneath the ferocity of Obito's tone as well as the pain of the spanking. "Big brother Obito, please, I wasn't trying to -!"

"Do you think I don't know you, Sakura-chan?" A particularly hard smack fell like a bolt of lightning. "Or do you think i was born yesterday?"

"No!" Sakura pleaded, almost in a shriek. "I don't - I don't think - I'm sorry!"

"Don't try to lie to me!" The palm of Obito's hand lit a fire on the backs of her thighs. Her legs thrashed in a desperate attempt to escape. "Take your spanking and learn to feel real regret for the things you do!"

The barrage of spanks kept up until Sakura broke altogether. Her sobs made a cracking sound, but her crying became quiet, albeit no less violent. Lying over Obito's lap, she shook with the force of her sobs. Though she no longer fought to escape, her feet continued to batter the bed.

Obito's hand fell again and again. "Suppose this cut of yours had gotten infected thanks to your fooling around and trying to be slick? If Iruka-sensei hadn't caught you, the infection could've spread till you had to have your hand cut off or maybe even died!"

"I didn't mean it!" Sakura wailed. That was one objection, at least, that wasn't a lie. "Big brother Obito, please!"

"I know you didn't mean it, Sakura-chan. But you still did it. And you know better than anyone else that missing school on purpose is wrong!"

The sting had built up to an unbearable intensity, but Sakura could only pound the bed even harder and dig her nails into it. She felt as though she were spending an eternity in hell.

This - this is what happens to Sasuke and Naruto every time they get in trouble for doing something bad like this. At least if I cry and say I'm sorry, I can get grownups . . .besides big brother Obito. . .to go easy on me sometimes, but it never happens for them!

A few more smacks, and the spanking ended. Obito passed his hand over her quivering back.

Gradually, Sakura's crying became quieter, and then there was only the slow flow of remaining tears. She didn't attempt to sit up yet. She knew that she first had to answer the question she always did at the end of a spanking.

"What do you have to say, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura sniffled uncontrollably. "I'm. . . I'm sorry, big brother Obito. I was bad to - to miss class - wander off and - play with a shuriken."

The rubbing ceased, and Obito helped her up. Sakura crawled over to her skirt and underwear. Keeping her back to Obito and her gaze averted, she pulled both pieces of clothing back on. When she turned, though, she found that Obito had opened his arms for her.

Big brother Obito. . .looks sad. . .just as sad as I am.

Sakura forgot all thoughts of sulky self-pity and was in his arms before even she realized it. She desperately needed cuddling, but she knew that Obito needed it as much as she did. As he combed her hair with his fingers, she met and held his gaze, then showed him her smile, watery though it was, and allowed her own green eyes to sparkle with impish cheer.

"I'm ok, big brother Obito." The words came out between hiccups. "You don't need to worry about me now. And - I'm not mad at you - as long as you're not mad at me anymore."

Obito rested his chin on her head. "I'm not mad anymore. Just so glad my Sakura-chan's ok."

Hey there! I hang out on a new discord server that galaxyqueenie started. Join it if you are interested in non sexual spanking fanfics, roleplay, and other fun stuff!❤️: https://discord.gg/YvKrZKD


	3. Chapter 3

Sasuke Uchiha was six years old, recently orphaned and in the care of his older brother, Itachi. As he was now Sasuke's only caregiver, Itachi no longer went on missions, but served as a sentry on the perimeter of the village in order to provide for them both. He worked at least five days a week, often more, and was away from sunrise until it was dark.

Little Sasuke hated many things, and there weren't many things of which he was particularly fond. The thing, living or nonliving, that he loved more than anything in the world, his older brother, was out of his reach most of the time, and so, when he began his first year at the Academy, he shared his anger with the world.

That Monday morning, standing on the porch of their large stone house, after watching Itachi leave for work, Sasuke scrubbed the tears from his eyes. He refused to cry. Older Brother never cried. He never laughed, either. He was calm and quiet and, when he talked to Sasuke, always wore a faint smile that never seemed to reach his sad eyes. Sasuke refused to be weaker than his older brother was.

Itachi never got angry, either, but this fact didn't deter Sasuke. When the departing figure of his brother had disappeared into the distance, Sasuke gave the still-open door a vicious kick to shut it. He then bent down to snatch his bento box and dragged himself down the porch steps, prepared for another horrible day.

As he made his way across the lawn, past the surrounding hedge and up the road that led to the Academy, Sasuke passed the porches of their neighbors, many of whom were old aunties and uncles who seemed to practically live out on those porches with their tobacco pipes and cups of tea.

"Sasuke-kun!" one old lady sang out from her rocker. "Oh, I haven't seen you in what seems like forever. I was out of town when the school year started. Just look at you, enrolled in the Academy, taking yourself to school like a little shinobi!"

Involuntarily, Sasuke's shoulders hunched. He gritted his teeth. He didn't slow down or acknowledge the old lady with as much as a glance.

"Isn't he?" her oblivious geezer of a husband pitched in. "He's grown at least an inch since the last time I saw him. I swear to heaven, he's getting to be the spitting image of his mother, bless her soul. Turn around, son, so I can get a look atcha!"

Sasuke felt a very familiar pain in his chest and a dreadful hot wetness gathering at the backs of his eyes once again. He quickened his pace. The sooner that he was out of hearing range of these two, the better.

"Sasuke-kun?. . . Sasuke-kun! Dear, where are you going?"

Sasuke whirled around, at last. Unable to contain himself any longer, he came running forward and hurled his bento box with all of his strength in the direction of his tormentors. The box landed on the edge of their lawn; the impact broke the clasp, causing it to fly open, and its contents came tumbling out into the grass.

Sasuke stamped his feet. "Stop talking to me. Stop looking at me. Go to hell and leave me alone!"

This explosive request wasn't only for the talkative couple, but for every one of the brainless, annoying neighbors. The elderly occupants of every porch on the block seemed to fall silent. Sasukes performance had stunned them, and he couldn't care less. Leaving the block on which he lived behind, Sasuke whirled and dashed off to the Academy.

This day at the Academy began as any other day did. As Sasuke crossed the lawn, he passed little Sakura Haruno, a classmate whose face always became as pink as her hair when she laid eyes on him. This morning, as usual, she attempted to greet him.

"H-h-hi, Sasuke. I . . ."

"Will you get lost, Sakura?" Sasuke was in no mood to offer so much as a gruff "hi" to anyone or to bite his tongue. "You make me sick. You're so annoying!"

As he stalked into the Academy building, he could hear what sounded like sniffling on Sakuras part, but he ignored it. He entered Iruka-sensei's classroom and flopped down into a seat before studiedly staring off at nothing and noone, as he always did.

Sakura Haruno, like Sasuke, was an orphan. She'd been taken into the care of 15-year-old Obito Uchiha, a distant cousin of Sasuke's, one for whom he had little regard. Compared to Itachi, big brother Obito was a talentless loser where being a shinobi was concerned. More than that, he was a loud, sensitive, goofy idiot. In that respect, he wasn't unlike one of Sasuke's classmates, Naruto Uzumaki, a louder, more boastful and stupider miniature version of Obito.

When Sasuke had been too small to remember, while on a mission with his teammates, Obito had had an accident that had nearly cost him his life. As they'd all believed he wouldn't survive, he'd gifted his eye and, with it, his newly-awakened Sharingan to Kakashi. His teammates had then been forced to leave him where he lay and flee for their own safety. Later, however, someone had reached Obito, healed him and returned him to the village. This year, Obito was engaged to be married to his other teammate, Rin Nohara, a girl over whom he'd apparently been salivating since childhood, but who hadn't accepted his brainless advances or returned his feelings until recently. Sasuke bet that she'd only agreed to marry him because Kakashi hadn't returned her feelings for him.

What sort of creeps got married at 15 years old, anyway? Sasuke wouldn't be surprised if Rin were secretly pregnant and desperate. He couldn't understand it otherwise. He never intended to fall in love or get married.

Iruka-sensei began roll call. As always, Uzumaki Naruto, whose name was last on the class's list alphabetically, burst into the classroom almost half a minute after his name had been called and just before Iruka could mark him tardy.

Iruka didn't comment on the little boy's late entrance. Lately, though Naruto was a loudmouthed troublemaker, Iruka never seemed to comment on anything that he did or failed to do. It was obvious that he was attempting to get rid of the undesirable behavior by ignoring it. Without removing his eyes from the list, he said only, "Please take your seat, Naruto."

Naruto seated himself three desks down from Sasuke. Sasuke pretended not to notice the fact that the blond loser, who seemed to try to pick a fight with him or prove himself a rival to him at every opportunity, was glaring at him. Only when Narutos attention turned to the blackboard did Sasuke look at him out of the corner of his eye.

It's freezing outside. Doesn't he have enough of a brain to know he should wear a sweater? I wonder what happened to the ugly orange one he came to school wearing last week. I bet he lost it or something. His hair always looks like he's never combed it in his life, and - ugh, there's a bunch of dried-up snot in his nose!

Unlike Sakura, Naruto, who was also an orphan, was furnished with food, clothing and shelter by the Third Hokage, but had not have a personal caretaker since he'd gotten to be too old to need a nurse. Though it was rumored that the Hokage had been seeking a kind and willing caretaker for him, preferably an active or retired shinobi, Sasuke doubted the veracity of the rumors; after all, it couldn't be that difficult to find a caretaker even for a snotnosed idiot like Naruto. So Naruto practically lived on his own and did as he pleased, eating junk food for every meal and coming to school with boogers in his nose.

Sasuke made a face and turned away. Sakura, seated directly behind him, could still be heard sniffling, though, unlike Naruto, she had nothing in her nose to sniffle. Little Hinata Hyuuga, seated beside her, was also snuffling. She had a cold, and Sasuke could hear the mucus rattling in her nostrils with every inhalation.

Her noise and Sakura's continued as Iruka said, "Please turn to page 30 in your spelling books, children," and together they drove Sasuke a little closer to the brink of madness.

". . . I'd like to review yesterday's spelling lesson to see who studied well. Would any of you like to spell 'jutsu' for me?"

Sasuke kept his eyes straight ahead and feigned deafness. He knew how to write whole sentences and with few or no spelling errors. He shouldn't have to endure these babyish lessons, and he refused to let Iruka forget that fact.

Even with his eyes fastened to the wall, Sasuke was certain that he saw Iruka glancing in his direction and that the sigh that he gave a moment later was directed towards him. He felt a small rush of satisfaction, though it was replaced by a twinge of something that might have been guilt.

"Sakura? Will you spell for me?"

Sakura stood. "Y-yes, sensei," she sniffled. Iruka-sensei didn't bother to ask why she was crying. She was his darling, a member of the strange breed of kids who actually enjoyed school, but he, along with all of her classmates, had become accustomed to the sight of her tears. Where being a crybaby was concerned, Sakura gave Akimichi Choji and Hinata a run for their money. At least Choji only cried about sparring matches and spent most of his time stuffing his face and hanging onto Nara Shikamaru, while Hinata fled the scene and hid when she wanted to cry. For Sakura, on the other hand, crying almost seemed to be a profession or talent.

Sakura wiped her eyes and sniffled once again, and Sasuke suppressed the urge he felt to turn and stab her with a newly-sharpened pencil. Just when she finally had a grip on herself, the rattling of Hinatas nose grew louder. Sasuke's blood ran hot.

"Jutsu." Sakura began to spell the word with all the laboriousness of a kindergarten baby who had just learned to piece letters together. "J. . .u. . .t. . .s. . .u."

"Very good, Sakura." Sasuke could hear the warmth of a smile in Iruka's voice. "Now let's give someone else a chance to practice. Who can spell the word 'chakra'?"

Naruto opened his loud mouth, which, Sasuke was certain, could be heard for miles around. "Ha, that's easy! 'Chakra.' J - o - c -"

"Incorrect, Naruto," was Iruka's cool, dispassionate reply.

"I knew that," Naruto grumbled. "Let me try again! Uh - c . . .h. . .o. . .. .?"

"N-N-Naruto," Sasuke could hear Hinata whispering between snotty sniffs and gulps. "C-h-A. N-n-not 'o.' "

Sasuke rounded on her and erupted. "If you want to whisper answers to Naruto so badly, why don't you go sit behind him and take your boogers with you?"

Iruka set his spelling book down. "Sasuke!"

"Why are you yelling at me?" Sasuke cried. "Hinata's the one who was whispering and dripping snot in class!"

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry," Hinata stammered and sniffled from behind her hands. Her eyes were beginning to dampen.

Good, Sasuke thought. I hope I made her cry. Her stupid stutter makes me sick!

Naruto was on his feet now. He slammed his hands on his desk surface. "You didn't have to tattle on her like some preschool baby, you jerk. You think you're so cool just because you're an Uchiha!"

Sasuke stood, too. "I'm the son of the CHIEF of Uchiha, you loser. THAT'S what makes me better than you'll ever be!"

Naruto's hands formed fists. His shoulders quivered. "Having strong parents doesn't make YOU tough or cool. Having a strong brother doesn't, either! I bet big brother Itachi hardly ever teaches you anything. All the grownups say he's always working!"

"Don't you dare call Itachi 'big brother,' snot-for-brains," Sasuke snarled. "He's MY big brother. You're just jealous because you don't have a brother or sister!"

"Sasuke!" Iruka slammed his wooden ruler down on the desk surface. The force of the action startled the had never witnessed such a display of vehemence from their teacher. "That's enough. Don't say another word to Naruto or to Hinata!"

Sasuke knew from experience that Iruka was very unlikely to use that wooden ruler to chastise him as he had other students, and so he refused to button up. "You didn't say anything to Naruto, and he's the one who started with me!"

For a moment, Iruka was silent.

"Ignore Naruto, Sasuke." His tone was as cool as it always seemed to be when he spoke to or of Naruto lately. "And, Hinata, please don't whisper answers again. Your classmates won't learn that way."

"Y-y-yes, sensei," Hinata whispered.

Sasuke couldn't help but to glance from Iruka's face to that of Naruto, notice the mixture of bemusement and - something that might have been hurt - in his eyes, and return his gaze to Iruka.

Iruka-sensei can try if he wants to, but he's an idiot if he really thinks ignoring Naruto's going to make him shut up and get a life. When I ignore him, he bothers me even more!

The school day continued without further incident until shortly before lunch hour. Naruto took the opportunity to release an army of cockroaches that he'd collected someplace. He opened the brown paper bag, and within moments, every other child in the room, with the exceptions of Sasuke and Aburame Shino, was screaming and attempting to flee.

Through all of this, Iruka kept up his "ignoring Naruto" act. He clapped his hands to request order. "Children, calm down! This is no way for little shinobi to behave when something is wrong. Everyone, form a line and exit the school building. You'll take your lunch early."

Out on the playground, Sasuke headed for a tree. He sat down between the roots and stared off at nothing. He'd left his bento box on the lawn of the old couple, and his stomach was beginning to growl.

"Sasuke?"

Sakura had appeared to pester him once again. She stood a few feet away from him, almost as if she were afraid (and rightfully so) that he'd bite if she came too close. She studied her feet, holding her own bento box forth.

"Don't you have any lunch?. . . Big brother Obito made me too much food."

Sasuke ignored the complaining of his stomach. "I don't want any of big brother Obito's crappy cooking," he growled. "Now get lost!"

Sakura, having failed to get the message, lingered there, clutching her bento box.

"I - I didn't think it was fair when Iruka-sensei got mad at you and not at Naruto. He's always starting trouble."

"I don't care about stupid Naruto or Iruka-sensei. Get out of my face already!"

As if Sakura wasn't enough of an annoyance, Naruto came barging into Sasuke's personal space. "You don't need to talk to Sakura like that! What the hell's your problem?"

"Go AWAY, Naruto!" Sakura cried. "I don't need you to protect me, and I don't want to play with you, roach-boy!"

"I already washed my hands," Naruto moaned. He offered his palms up for inspection by Sakura, who scrambled backwards to avoid being touched. "I DID! You can even ask Iruka-sensei. Hey - I have a chocolate bar -"

"I don't want any!" Sakura retorted, though the hungry glimmer in her eyes belied her words.

"But I like you a lot, Sakura!" Naruto produced the chocolate bar, which had been flattened at the edges. "I swear I'll let you have the whole thing if you'll like me back. Please be my girlfriend!"

In spite of the temptation of chocolate, this request filled Sakura with so much revulsion that she reared back and punched Naruto in the face with what appeared to be all of her strength. "Not for a million dollars. You're gross and ANNOYING!"

For a moment, Sasuke was as stunned as Naruto, who sat down on the ground, trying to dam the fountain of blood that spurted from his nose with his hands, then with the collar of his shirt. He gazed up at Sakura, who clutched her blood-stained fist with the other hand, seemingly almost as shocked by her own actions as the boys were. Sasuke could have sworn that he spied dampness gathering at the rims of Narutos blue eyes.

At length, however, Sasuke burst into loud laughter - a thing he'd never done on school grounds. Naruto had been beaten by a girl - and one of the biggest crybabies on earth, at that.

Instead of retaliating against Sakura as any red-blooded six-year-old would have, Naruto scrambled to his feet and lunged for Sasuke. Sasuke could have dodged easily; he was a far better fighter than Naruto was. As it was, however, he charged forward and gave himself over to the hot, wild rush of trading blows.

Sasuke had Naruto pinned to the ground and was prepared to follow Sakuras punch to the face with countless punches of his own when Iruka's restraining arm encircled him. He continued to swing and thrash as he was peeled off of Naruto, who got up and rushed at him, fists at the ready, but was pushed back. Both boys were streaked with Naruto's blood now.

"Sakura! What's going on? What happened here?"

"Sakura punched Naruto in the nose for asking to be her girlfriend and made him bleed," Shikamaru could be heard volunteering. "Then Sasuke laughed at Naruto. Naruto charged at him first, but Sasuke ran at him, too, and threw the first punch."

Sasuke was hauled indoors and into the classroom. Iruka seated him firmly, then held him in place as he struggled.

"Let me go! That moron wanted to fight me, did he? Let me kick his butt. Just one punch to his stupid face!"

He continued to resist Iruka's restraining until exhaustion forced him to be still. Only then did Iruka release him.

"Sasuke, I told you to ignore Naruto. Why in the world must you antagonize him when you know that you don't want anything to do with him?"

Why? Why, in spite of the fact that Naruto was a loser and a nobody, someone who could easily be ignored, was he so desperate to wipe the floor with him? Why did he feel as though he'd been aching for an excuse to fight him for a long time? Why couldn't he just ignore Naruto?

Sasuke had no answer to this question. Instead of attempting to respond, he gave the leg of his desk a vicious kick. "Go ahead, pick on me. You've been doing it all day, but you've been letting Naruto get away with murder. You're the lousiest teacher ever, and I can't wait to tell Older Brother so he can pull me out of this nasty, cockroach-y school!"

Iruka pressed his lips into a thin, tight line. During the silence, Sasukes gaze drifted, and he took notice of the presence of Sakura, who stood near Iruka's desk, eyes downcast.

"What the hell is Sakura doing here?" Sasuke demanded. "Are you going to pick on her, too? I guess lazy morons like Naruto can do whatever they want because they're your favorites." His voice rose. "Why don't you just go ahead and kick us out of school?"

This caused Sakura to unleash a flood of tears. She'd never misbehaved enough to warrant even a scolding from Iruka. "No, Sasuke, no! Iruka-sensei, p-p-please don't kick us out of school!"

"Sasuke, enough." Iruka massaged his temples. He looked as though he'd aged ten years over the past few minutes. "You know that noone is being expelled from school. Sensei loves all of you equally. I have no favorites. But I can't tolerate all of this screaming, bickering and hitting!"

He attempted to place a hand on Sasukes shoulder, but was rebuffed with a push. He retreated to his own desk, where Sakura still stood.

"But, sensei," Sakura quavered, "it wasn't our faults. Naruto ran at Sasuke first! And - he tried to get me to be his GIRLFRIEND, but I told him I didn't need him to protect me - and he's annoying and he's always acting up in class - and he touches roaches and he has a dried-up booger in his nose!"

Iruka's face was stern. "Naruto's and Sasuke's fight is something I'll address with them. Sakura, I'm shocked and disappointed by your behavior. If Naruto has a dried-up booger in his nose and you don't like seeing it, then offer him a damp napkin so that he can get it out. I know that some of his actions can be irritating. But there's never any excuse to hit our comrades and classmates, no matter how we feel about them!"

Sasuke wasn't certain he was seeing correctly when Iruka picked up the wooden ruler and took Sakura by the hand. He seated himself behind his desk and bent the tearful little girl across his knee.

Sasuke was forced to listen as Iruka delivered the series of crisp swats with the ruler. Each swat resounded throughout the almost-empty room. Sakura screamed every time the ruler landed. She was crying in earnest now.

Sasuke put his head down on his desk and squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't believe that Iruka's ferrulings were painful enough to justify all of that crying. He never gave more than about a dozen swats over clothes. Everyone knew that parents and guardians would moan and complain if he ever administered a severe punishment.

Of course, Sakura was annoying and a crybaby. Why, then, was this so horrible for Sasuke to listen to?

After what seemed to be an eternity, the ruler stopped. Sasuke sat up, allowed himself to open his eyes, gulped and began to breathe again.

Iruka laid the ruler to rest on the desk, gathered Sakura up and sat her on his lap. His arms encircled her, and she buried her face into his chest.

"I'm s-s-sorry, sensei. Please don't hate me!"

"Sakura, little one." Iruka stroked the soft pink locks. "I'm your sensei. You're such a good girl, and I could never hate any of you. In that same way, none of you should hate eachother."

Eventually, Sakura grew quiet. Sasuke watched as Iruka's brown fingers continued to comb her hair. Almost drowsy-eyed, she shifted so that her cheek rested against him. The sight of the cuddling brought about a strange tightness in Sasuke's chest. Not for the first time today, he had to blink hard and remind himself that Older Brother never cried. Besides, he had no reason to cry. He didn't want Iruka-sensei hugging and drooling all over him, anyway.

At last, Iruka set Sakura down and addressed Sasuke. His weariness was evident in his voice.

"Sasuke, as you probably already know, I won't punish you for what you did. I believe that Older Brother will be better able to help you than I am. I'm going to send a note home to him."

Sasuke thrust his chin out in defiance. "I don't care!"

"Sasuke, please. Don't you want to be in the Academy at all? You've been doing so well with your schoolwork and in sparring. Don't you want to work with me so you can learn and grow to become a strong shinobi like Older Brother?"

To this, Sasuke had no reply. He stared at the surface of his desk. More than anything, he did want to be like Older Brother.

Iruka heaved a sigh. He left his seat.

"Lunch hour's about over. I'd better make sure Naruto's gone to see the school healer before I call everyone in."

xxxxxxXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxx

It wasn't long before the other pupils returned to the classroom. Iruka brought up the rear. Sasuke could see in his face that something was wrong.

The children were abuzz with excitement, chattering and whispering. Sasuke believed at first that they were gossiping about the playground brawl between himself and Naruto. Soon, however, Yamanaka Ino leaned in and spoke in hushed tones.

"Sasuke, it's Naruto. He's not on the playground or inside. Nobody knows where he is!"

Iruka whacked the edge of his desk with his ruler. The class fell silent, at least for the moment.

"Children, I have to leave school grounds. I can't seem to find Naruto. I'm going to take a look around for him and, if need be, get the forest patrol to help me. Everything's going to be all right. I trust you all to be quiet and orderly in my absence. Shino, Shikamaru, I'm leaving you in charge. Please write the names of any students who are rowdy on the blackboard."

Without further ado, Iruka exited the classroom. The children followed him with their gazes. As requested, Shino and Shikamaru came to the fore of the room, but no sooner were the little pupils certain that their teacher had left the school grounds altogether than the chattering began.

"If Iruka-sensei really trusts us to be quiet and orderly while he's gone, why put two of us in charge?" Kiba groused.

"I know," Shikamaru agreed. "It's a huge drag. What does he think I am, some type of tattletale?"

He did pick up the red marker, however, turn to the blackboard and write "SASUKE UCHIHA."

This riled Sasuke up. "What are you doing, you pineapple-headed jerk? I haven't said one word since Iruka-sensei left!"

"I know." Shikamaru turned to face him, marker in hand. "I wrote your name because you're a huge pain. If you hadn't been such a butthead, maybe Naruto wouldn't have run off!"

Sasuke flinched.

Worry was evident in Hinata's eyes.

"Naruto. . .ran off? Sh-Sh-Shikamaru, h-h-how do you know th-that?"

"Isn't it obvious? He didn't just disappear into thin air, and he didn't get kidnapped on the playground. He was upset after the fight he had with Sakura and Sasuke, and he ran away."

"Naruto got punched in the face by a girl because he's a big, annoying brat!" Sasuke shot back. "And you wasted marker ink and made yourself look pathetic with that stupid stunt, because Iruka-sensei isn't going to do anything to me. Ha!"

Kiba got up and gave Sasuke a mock bow. "Oh, we forgot. Iruka-sensei can't punish his Royal Highness, prince of the Uchiha clan. He'll have to tell BIG BWUTHER anytime little prince Sasuke's naughty!"

There was an uneasy silence, but soon a peal of laughter rippled through the room.

The nape of Sasuke's neck was as hot as a coal, and his face was crimson. He kicked his chair back and started for Kiba.

Sakura, however, leapt into the argument on his behalf. "Oh, get lost, Inuzuka Kiba. Don't try to make fun of Sasuke just because you're from a lame, flea-ridden DOG clan!"

Amid snickers from other children, Kiba's face flushed. "And what would you know about it, SUCKERA? You don't even have a clan. You're a nobody. Big brother Obito the loser took you in because even he felt sorry for you!"

"Kiba-kun, don't." Hinata was on the verge of tears. "You're h-hurting Sakura-chan's f-feelings!"

The epithet "Suckera," however, had elicited laughter from several children, who thought it was the most hilarious thing they'd ever heard. The nickname spread across the classroom like wildfire.

"Suckera! Hey, Suckera!"

"How's it going, Suckera?"

"Suckera, don't cry!"

"Yeah, suck it up, Suckera!"

"Suckera Hair-uno!"

Sakura covered her face with her hands in a desperate attempt to hide her tears. Ino marched to the front of the classroom and attempted to glare the little teasers into silence.

"You bunch of worm-brains! You think you're so smart just because you copied a stupid nickname from someone else?"

Ino was the most popular girl in class, so this was enough to cow any little girls who had taunted Sakura into silence. The little boys, however, not only laughed and redoubled their efforts, but began to fire spitballs.

An audible sob forced its way out of Sakura. Sasuke seized the nearest hardcover textbook and fired it in Kiba's direction. Kiba managed to duck, however, causing the book to crack little Rock Lee upside the head. Sasuke grabbed another heavy object, a canteen that was almost full of water, and hurled it. It struck the wall, the lid flew off and the contents soaked a stack of notebooks.

"Stop fighting, everyone," TenTen begged, though she could hardly be heard over the pandemonium. "Guys! Can we please stop fighting?"

Throughout all of this, quiet, brooding little Shino, perhaps the only person in the classroom who had not uttered a word since Iruka's departure, calmly and dutifully wrote the name of every single noisemaker on the blackboard, making sure to keep his letters small so that all of the names would fit.

He was still writing and the noisemakers were still noisemaking when the door opened and 16-year-old Hatake Kakashi appeared in the doorway. For quite a while, noone noticed his presence. Sakura continued to cry. Sasuke attempted to stab another child in the eye with his own paper airplane. TenTen remonstrated with her classmates again and again, asking for peace.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Sasuke wasn't certain why, but the sound of Kakashi's quiet voice, unlike that of Iruka-sensei, had the power to command immediate silence, even from him. During that graveyard-like silence, every pupil slowly made his way back to his seat. Even Shino abandoned the blackboard, as did Shikamaru, who retired to his desk and rested his head on his arms.

Kakashi came to stand in front of Iruka's desk. "I can't hear you when you all talk at once. Where's Iruka-sensei?"

Sakura wiped her eyes. "He had to find Naruto, Mister Kakashi."

"Naruto? What happened to him?"

Sakura stared at her lap. "We don't know. He went missing at recess. Shikamaru thinks he ran away."

Kakashi took a deep breath, then exhaled through his nose. "Well, that's just wonderful. I had something I needed to talk about with Iruka-sensei, and it involved Naruto."

He gave the blackboard a lookover, then, picking up the eraser, proceeded to clear it of all of Shinos beautiful handiwork, much to his distress. Having done that, he turned to face the class once again.

"But that can wait. In the meantime, I suppose I can take on babysitting duty, and you can explain to me why in the world I walked in to find you all acting like a bunch of tiny, violent madmen."

Noone volunteered to speak at first. Then Sasuke opened his mouth, and suddenly everyone was talking, vying for the floor.

"Sakura, you tell me what happened," Kakashi commanded after a few minutes of this chaos. "I don't want to hear a word out of anyone except Sakura."

When this request went unheeded, Kakashi removed the glove from his right hand. He then raised his hand, which began to crackle with white lightning. The sight of the Raikiri caused every mouth to snap shut.

"One word out of anyone whose name isn't Haruno Sakura, and I'll ELECTROCUTE that person's bare butt. And you can report me to your parents when you get home if you like."

Another dead silence reigned over the classroom. Then, when Kakashi's hand returned to his side, electricity-free, Sakura ventured to speak.

"Naruto, Sasuke and I had a fight, Mister Kakashi - but it wasn't our faults." Her voice was tiny. "Not Sasuke's fault or my fault, I mean. We - didn't mean to make Naruto want to run away. But I - I got in trouble for hitting him because he's just always so annoying."

Kakashi's gaze drifted across the little faces. "And what does that have to do with the little party you all were throwing in here?"

"Well, Shikamaru wrote Sasuke's name on the board even though he didn't do anything and then Shikamaru said Sasuke was the one who was annoying and -"

"You're ALL annoying."

This declaration took everyone aback. Sakura's mouth clamped shut. Sasuke sat up straight.

Him - annoying? He wasn't annoying. He'd been accused of being stuck-up, bad-tempered and obstinate, and he would admit to possessing all of those characteristics. After all, he was the son of the chief of the Uchiha clan. But "annoying" was an adjective that should be reserved for loud, pushy, babyish idiots like Naruto and Kiba and crybabies like Sakura and Hinata.

Sasuke dared to fold his arms with an angry little jerk. Well, what did Kakashi know about any of them, anyway? He was a quiet person who occasionally passed and glanced at Sasuke and other children on his way to and from work, but seldom spoke to them. He probably didn't even know most of them by name.

"Yes." Kakashi's eyes settled on Sasuke, who flinched. "Sasuke, you have an ego the size of Konoha and a rotten attitude."

Slowly, Sasuke unfolded his arms. Kakashi turned his attention to the class's little spokesperson. "Sakura. You're too easily swayed by other people. You try to solve your problems by crying or by lashing out violently."

Sakura hung her head.

Who the hell is he to talk about being violent? Sasuke thought. He's the one who tried to use Raikiri on us just because we wouldn't be quiet!

"Kiba, you're boastful, and you're always looking for a fight. Shikamaru, you're lazy. And Naruto is a troublemaker who plays pranks and is always trying to show off."

Kakashi paused to take in the expressions on the children's faces. Sasuke decided to stare at his desk.

"If you're here to argue about who's the most annoying person in this class, then I'd advise you all to take your bento boxes and go home, and don't come back to school. As far as I'm concerned, it isn't an argument any of you will win. But if you're in this building because you want to learn to be shinobi, then, before anything else, you need to learn to get over yourselves and put up with eachother. If you can't behave like good CLASSMATES, you'll never be good TEAMMATES, and without exercising teamwork, you'll never be worthy shinobi."

Kakashi oversaw the tidying up of the classroom. Spitballs were swept up, paper airplanes were discarded and chairs and desks were pushed back into their proper places. Afterwards, he distributed crayons and stacks of paper and ordered the little ones to keep themselves quiet and occupied. Sasuke was holding a blue crayon, staring at his untouched paper, when Iruka-sensei returned with Naruto in tow.

Sasuke sat up straight to study them. He couldn't fail to notice the mixture of exhaustion and relief in Iruka's face, Naruto's downcast eyes - or the fact that his hand was in Iruka's. It appeared that the school healer had had a chance to attend to Naruto's bloodied nose, but hadn't bothered to do anything about the dried-up boogers inside of it.

Iruka was mortified to see Kakashi behind the teacher's desk. "Kakashi! How long have you been in here? The children were supposed to sit quietly by themselves. God, I hope they didn't give you any trouble."

Kakashi left the teacher's seat. "It was fine. Is Naruto all right? What happened to him?"

Iruka paused. Then he passed a gentle hand over the unruly blond head.

"Naruto left school grounds and took off to play ninja in the forest. A group of bandits did try to attack him just as I found. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt."

"Sorry, Iruka-sensei," Naruto mumbled.

Without warning, Iruka's hand left Naruto's head, reared back and struck his bottom in the hardest swat that Sasuke had ever witnessed him giving.

"OW!" Naruto roared.

"You little idiot, you know better than to run off like that. You could have been beaten up, kidnapped or killed! Go to your seat, Naruto. As soon as I've dismissed class, I'm going to give you a reason to say 'ow'!"

Sasuke watched as, damp-eyed and rubbing his backside, Naruto made his way to his seat.

I can't believe Iruka-sensei's actually going to punish the idiot. Earlier, he acted like - like he didn't really notice he existed.

Kakashi addressed Iruka. "I wanted to talk to you about Naruto. Lord Hokage's been looking for a caretaker for him."

The ears of every child in the room perked up. Naruto stood up to stare at Kakashi.

"Yes." Iruka's eyes drifted over to Naruto, then back to Kakashi. "Kakashi, you aren't. . .?"

"I don't know the first thing about looking after a kid. Lord Hokage pointed that out to me when I came to see him today. But if Obito can take care of one even though he's a year younger than I am, I can manage, too. At any rate, being with me couldn't be worse for him than living on his own. I'll sign anything you need me to sign and take Naruto back to my place after you dismiss him."

Naruto came flying out from behind his desk without permission. All of Konoha could hear his screams and shouts. "AIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE, I've got a big brother! I've finally got a big brother. And I get to live with the Copy Ninja, Kakashi of the Sharingan - this is so awesome! Big brother Kakashi! Can you teach me Chidori? Can we go home right now? Can -?!"

Iruka rapped the desk. "QUIET, Naruto!"

Naruto retreated to his desk immediately, whispered, "Sorry, sensei," and plunked himself down in his chair.

Iruka turned to Kakashi once again. "Kakashi. . . ."

For a moment, he trailed off, as though he were considering what he truly wanted to say.

"Kakashi. . . Kakashi, thank you. If the Third Hokage's agreed to it. . . I know you'll take good care of Naruto. I'm. . . I'm only sorry that - that I. . ."

"You don't need to say anything else, Iruka." Kakashi's voice was almost gentle. "I know why you couldn't be Naruto's guardian before."

What's he talking about? Sasuke wondered. Why couldn't Iruka-sensei be Naruto's guardian? I'll have to ask Older Brother. He'll probably know. He knows everything.

Kakashi turned to go. "I'll be back when school's over. Naruto, be ready."

The remainder of the school day went by without anymore chaos. When the bell rang, as usual, children collected their bento boxes and their homework and went streaming out, eager for the sunshine and the freedom of the outdoors.

Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto remained behind, Sakura because, as she was the teacher's darling, she'd been awarded eraser-clapping "privileges," Sasuke because Iruka had promised to send him home with a note, Naruto for obvious reasons. Sasuke, with his chin in his hand, watched as big brother Obito the loser came barging into the room.

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

"Big Brother Obito!" The little girl abandoned the erasers and flew over to him. Obito swept her up and flew her through the air, eliciting laughter.

Watching them, once again, Sasuke felt that tightness in his chest. He swallowed hard and reminded himself that he didn't want to be glomped by a giant Uchiha version of Naruto, anyway.

His eyes then happened to wander in Naruto's direction, and he could see that he, too, was watching Obito and Sakura.

Maybe. . .maybe his chest is hurting the same way mine is.

Obito set Sakura down. "Hi, Sasuke, Naruto!"

Naruto perked up, and the light returned to his face. "Hi, big brother Obito!"

"Hi," Sasuke muttered.

Obito tossed Naruto a coin. Naruto caught it clumsily. He broke into a grin.

Rin, smiling, entered the classroom. "Hi, Iruka. I hope Sakura was a good girl for you."

Iruka rubbed the back of his head. "Sakura was a good girl for the most part. We did have a tiny bit of trouble at recess."

Obito gave his little charge a stern look. "Sakura-chan!"

Sakura did her best to squeeze tears out. "It wasn't my fault, big brother Obito. Naruto kept asking me to be his girlfriend. Besides, sensei already punished me!"

"I only asked her one time!" Naruto insisted as Obito's gaze settled on him and the stern look turned into something that was more akin to a death glare. "Anyway, Sasuke was the real jerk!"

Sasuke swivelled around to face him. "Why don't you tell big brother Obito how you got beaten up by a GIRL, Naruto?"

Rin cut in. "Naruto, sweetie. . .you have boogers in your nose."

"Oh - thanks, big sister Rin." The idiot, taking no notice of the fact that Rin was fishing through her purse for a handkerchief, jammed his forefinger up one nostril. Sasuke cringed, as did Rin. He could practically see the disgusting crumbs scattering through the air. "I did NOT get beaten up by a girl! Sakura only hit me one time. Then I kicked Sasuke's butt so bad, Iruka-sensei had to drag him away from me!"

"In your dreams, loser. Everyone knows Iruka-sensei pulled me off of you because he knew I was about to kick the crap out of you!"

Iruka pounded the desk with his ruler. His eyes flashed. "Be quiet right now, or I'll kick the crap out of both of you!"

Sasuke was wise enough to shut his mouth. Naruto, however, went on moaning, "Yeah, right. You never smack Sasuke, Iruka-sensei!"

Obito cut in before Iruka could get up to kick the crap out of Naruto. "You know, he's got a point, Iruka. You can't punish Sakura for fighting and not do the same to the boys. It's sexist to act like a girl should never be violent, but it's no big deal for boys to brawl all day!"

"Oh, don't start, Obito," Rin implored.

Iruka sweatdropped. "It isn't like that, Obito. Naruto and I were. . .having some problems earlier, when the fight happened. And I'm sending a note home with Sasuke. You know I can't hit him."

"If you don't want to hit him, then send him to me. I'll beat his ass!"

"That - really isn't necessary, Obito."

Naruto could be heard snickering. Obito approached Sasuke, who averted his gaze and did his best to appear as though he didn't notice him. In reality, he wanted to make a break for the door. A spanking from big brother Obito the loser of all people - in the presence of Sakura, Iruka and, worst of all, Naruto - would be the perfect finishing touch to what had already been a bad day.

Obito's shadow fell over Sasuke. His hand moved, and Sasuke flinched before it came to rest on his shoulder with a CLAP.

"Behave yourself, Otouto, okay?"

He gave Sasuke a rub on the shoulder, then, removing his hand, placed a coin before him on the desk. At long last, he turned to take Sakura's hand. Rin took her other hand, and they exited the classroom together.

Only then did Sasuke deign to look at the little gift of money that Obito had left him. Against his will, he was blushing.

I didn't want your dumb affection, and I didn't ask for your stupid money. I don't need anything from a loser like you. You think just because you're my cousin, it means something. Well, it doesn't. I don't love you. Go away. Don't ever talk to me again or I'm telling Older Brother.

Still scarlet-cheeked, Sasuke regarded the coin for another minute, then gave in, picked it up gingerly and stuck it into his pocket. He rose and sauntered up to the teacher's desk to accept the note Iruka had written for Itachi. Without a word, he jammed it into his pocket and hurried out of the classroom.

xxxxxxXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxx

Sasuke spent what remained of the afternoon training with wooden shuriken. When the sun began to set, however, he headed indoors to put the shuriken and target away.

Older Brother will probably be home late, anyway. But I won't take any chances. I know when he sees the teacher's note, he'll hit me. I'll get in even more trouble if I get caught outside when it's dark.

Sasuke removed the note from his pocket. He stood there in the kitchen, regarding it. He wasn't dumb enough to try to solve the problem by discarding it, as Kiba had done with his note once before. He'd learned from his classmate's experience that these notes had to be signed and returned to the teacher.

Sasuke placed the note on the table. Now that he was at home, with nothing to distract him, he had time to reflect on the fact that he really was in trouble. All that was left to do now was wait for Itachi to return. Dread tied his stomach into knots.

Itachi had wrapped a plate of dinner for him and left it in the oven, as he always did on school days. Sasuke unwrapped the plate and forced the food down, though he had no appetite. Then there was nothing left to do but sit and wait. Sasuke chose to remain in the kitchen so that he'd see Itachi as soon as he returned. He sat there at the dining room table and swung his legs.

Time seemed to crawl by. Sasuke didn't realize that he'd dozed off until the creaking of the opening door woke him. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Older Brother!"

Itachi shut the door behind himself. As always, his eyes reflected sadness, and there were hints of tiredness in his face. Still, when he saw Sasuke, he gave him his gentle smile.

"It's late at night, Otouto. You shouldn't have tried to wait up for me."

Sasuke hurried over and wrapped his arms around Itachi's legs. Itachi's hand came to rest in his hair. Not for the first time today, Sasuke's chest tightened. Feelings overcame him in a flood, and he did his best to blink back tears.

But it's all right now. Even if Older Brother never cries . . .he never tells me I can't cry. I don't have to worry about looking tough in front Naruto or Sakura or Iruka-sensei. . .and, with Older Brother here, my chest won't hurt so much anymore.

"Oh, Sasuke," Itachi murmured, for somehow, as he always seemed to, he'd sensed Sasuke's emotional state even without seeing his face. He stroked the little head of dark hair again and again. "There, there. Shhhhhh. You'll be fine, Otouto."

"Iruka-sensei sent me home with a note." Sasuke's voice was defiant, albeit muffled. "I - I don't care, Older Brother."

Itachi's hand halted for a moment. Then, however, the hair-stroking resumed without a word.

When he felt calm enough, Sasuke drew away. Itachi headed for Sasuke's bedroom, beckoning for him to follow. Sasuke trailed after him. As they passed throught he kitchen, Itachi paused to pick up the note.

Itachi turned the light on. Only when his older brother had seated himself on the bed did Sasuke gather enough nerve to sit. As he stared at his hands, Itachi opened the note.

The silence seemed to drag on for centuries. At last, Itachi set the note aside.

"Sasuke." His voice was quiet; after all, Older Brother never got angry. "What have I told you about fighting with Naruto at the Academy? Didn't you make me a promise that you'd stop?"

Sasuke lifted his head. "It wasn't my fault, Older Brother. He attacked me! Iruka-sensei's been doing this dumb thing where he ignores everything Naruto does, so he's always bothering me. I hate that idiot!"

"No, you don't, Otouto. You don't hate anyone. I've told you not to use the word 'hate' for anything except evil. For how long have you been fighting with Naruto after you promised me you'd stop?"

"I've told you not to do this!" "You promised me you wouldn't do that!" Sasuke always heard his fill of these phrases and others like them when Itachi was chastising him. It was because Itachi was too busy to be aware of most of what Sasuke did that Sasuke felt free to forget so many injunctions and promises.

"He's annoying, Older Brother! Why can't you take time off so you can train me to be strong like you were when you were six? Then I can go to work with you. I hate the Academy!"

"Stop using the word 'hate,' " Itachi repeated sternly. "You never stopped fighting with Naruto even after you promised me, did you? And why did you scream at Mr. and Mrs. Yurosuke and use your bento box to make a mess on their lawn?"

"They make me sick. All the old neighbors are always trying to talk to me. They won't leave me alone!"

"Sasuke, Mr. and Mrs. Yurosuke are several times your age. You don't need to hold a conversation if you don't want to, but you will show your elders and other people around you that you respect them. You will NOT swear, scream or throw things at them."

Sasuke said nothing.

"Your bento box is broken now, so I threw it away," Itachi informed him with heartless calmness. "Until I buy you another one, you'll take your lunch in a paper bag."

All of his classmates would whisper about him, the only child in class who had to bring his lunch in a paper bag.

Sasuke jerked his chin. "I don't want another one!"

"Then you can carry your lunches in a paper bag until the end of this semester."

"I don't care, Older Brother!"

"Good." Itachi shifted so that he was sitting farther back on the bed. "Then lower your pants and underwear and lie down over my lap so I can spank you."

Slowly, Sasuke rose. He stalled for a moment or two, but, knowing that there was no way to avoid this, he pulled his shorts and underwear down and surrendered his arm to Itachi. He was lifted and placed facedown across his lap. Itachi's left hand came to rest on his back to secure him in place.

The knots of dread in Sasukes stomach grew larger. He swallowed hard and buried his face into the bedsheets.

Itachi's hand landed on Sasuke's bottom with a flattening crack. Sasuke lurched forward.

"OUCH! Older Brother. . .!"

"I don't want to hear it, Sasuke." The hard, searing slaps continued to come, this time from behind, where Sasuke's sitspots were. Sasuke fought to hold still, but gave up quickly. "I don't ever want to get another note from Iruka-sensei about you, nor do I ever want to hear that you've been rude to any of our neighbors!"

The smacks to the sitspots were hellish. Sasuke's tears began to flow. He raked the bed with his toes. "But it wasn't my fault. Older Brother, please!"

Itachi carried on with the spanking as though he'd heard nothing. The hand worked its way up to the center of Sasuke's backside, leaving a path of burning, stinging skin in its wake.

Sasuke gripped two handfuls of the bedding. He was ready to resort to apologizing now.

"I'm s-s-sorry," he managed out. "I won't do it again!"

Itachi's palm collided with one cheek, then with the other. He continued to shift between buttocks with every spank. To Sasuke, each smack was like a little firecracker-explosion of pain.

"I won't do it again, I swear. I'll keep my promise! Big brother, please! It hurts!"

Itachi began to pelt the backs of his thighs with spanks. "If you really are sorry, Sasuke, you'll apologize not to me, but to Naruto, Mr. and Mrs. Yurosuke and Iruka-sensei."

"I will! I'll - I'll apologize!" Sasuke almost choked on the words.

Still Itachi continued to spank, working over Sasuke's bottom in an almost circular pattern so that he was striking every spot.

"I will! I promise!" The words came out between sobs. "Big Brother, I'm sorry! I - I - I do c-c-care."

The slaps ceased. Itachi's hand became the gentle hand that Sasuke knew and loved, passing over his back in soothing motions.

"What do you care about, Otouto?" His voice was soft.

Sasuke gulped down a sob to speak. "I don't w-w-want you to be m-mad at me. I - I don't l-l-love anyone but Big Brother."

Itachi delivered a few more stinging slaps. Then it was over, and, after pulling Sasuke's pants and underwear back into place, he scooped him up. Sasuke buried his face into his chest and allowed himself to cry freely for the first time that day. His shoulders heaved with the force of the sobs.

Itachi began to rub his back once again. "Shhhhhh. I know, Otouto. I know."

Being held and stroked by Itachi felt better than anything in the world. Sasuke's crying became quieter. Eventually, he was too tired for sobs. He lay still in Itachi's arms then, allowing tears to leak onto his shirt.

When he felt calm enough, Sasuke drew back and wiped his eyes. Immediately Itachi averted his face, but even with his blurred vision, Sasuke noticed the wetness glistening beneath his eyelashes.

"Older Brother!"

Itachi wiped his eyes. Sasuke fell forward and wrapped his arms around him. His voice was choked.

"I'll be good in school. I'll do everything you tell me to. Please, Big Brother, don't cry!"

Itachi managed to smile for Sasuke's sake, but the dampness still shone in his eyes.

"Big Brother's all right. It's just that I worry about you - so much, Sasuke."

"You. . .do? But why?"

"Because I can't be with you as often as I want to be. You always promise to do everything that I say, to obey Big Brother, but you forget your promises when I'm away. I can discipline you when I learn that you've been naughty, but sometimes I worry that you even ignore the spankings I give you, that you'll stubbornly do what you like no matter what. I don't blame you if you're angry with me for being away from you so often, Otouto. But when you disobey me . . .I feel afraid that you'll make a mistake that could lead to your being hurt."

Sasuke watched, stunned, as Itachi attempted to blink back tears, failed and was forced to wipe his eyes again.

I don't disobey Older Brother because I'm mad at him for being away. I - I just don't want to be with anybody but him. But. . . I do act up more because I know he won't find out half of the time - and now Older Brother's crying and it's my fault.

Sasuke's embrace tightened. "Big Brother Kakashi was right. I AM annoying!"

Itachi moved him back. "You're annoying? What are you talking about, Otouto? What happened between you and Kakashi?"

Sasuke, who hadn't expected to be asked to expound, colored a little. In the end, however, he shared almost all that had happened that school day with Itachi, though he omitted the exchange he'd had with Obito.

The story of Naruto's and Hinata's booger-filled noses and Kakashi's Raikiri threat drew smiles out of Itachi. His eyes seemed to sparkle with the warmth of genuine laughter.

"He was going to electrocute us all, Older Brother," Sasuke moaned. "Don't you feel sorry for us at all?"

Itachi's eyes continued to laugh at him. He caressed the tiny forehead with his thumb.

"What big brother Kakashi said was the truth, Sasuke. For a shinobi - for any human, really - teamwork and friendship are more important than anything else."

His gaze drifted away from Sasuke, out of the window and off into a distance that Sasuke couldn't see. "It would make me happy if you made a good friend at the Academy - even if only one."

They sat together in that manner for a while, and then Itachi spoke the words that Sasuke always hated to hear when he was home from work. "Come, Otouto. It's past time for you to go to sleep."

xxxxxxXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxx

Itachi relented on the matter of the paper bag that next morning. When he handed Sasuke his lunch, it was in a bento box that he himself had used as a child. He'd risen early, before Sasuke did, to rummage through his old belongings in search of it.

While some other younger siblings would have complained about a hand-me-down, Sasuke was thrilled to have something that Older Brother had used when he'd been a child, the greatest prodigy of the Uchiha clan, though he concealed his pleasure behind a facade of lingering remorse.

As he drew near the Academy lawn, Sasuke caught sight of Naruto and slowed down. Outfitted in a new sweater, he was headed up the road, walking alongside Kakashi, whose gloved fingers he clutched with his tiny hand. The fact that no first-grade boy in his right mind would want to be caught dead being escorted to school by an older person as if he couldn't find his way there without help, let alone holding hands with him, didn't seem to trouble him at all.

He's looking up at Kakashi the way Sakura looks up at big brother Obito . . .and . . .I guess. . . probably the same way I look at Older Brother. And - I can't exactly tell because he's wearing a mask . . .but I think Kakashi's sort of smiling back at him. It's in his eyes.

When they were at the edge of the lawn, Kakashi stopped. He unpocketed a handkerchief and dabbed at Naruto's nostrils a few times. He then handed him the handkerchief and gestured as if to shoo him away.

With great reluctance, Naruto freed Kakashi's hand and set off for the school building. Kakashi lingered for a while to watch him.

"Well, what are you staring at, you jerk?" Naruto snapped upon noticing that he had an audience.

Sasuke's face burned, but he remembered the promise that he'd made to Itachi and willed himself to keep it. He jammed his fists into his pockets and teased a pebble with his foot.

"I wasn't staring. I - I. . .I'm sorry I fought you yesterday - and picked on you in class."

Naruto's surprise was obvious. He, too, became awkward, shifting from foot to foot and fussing with the sleeve of his sweater.

"It's - it's ok. I don't really care - about what happened yesterday."

"I don't care, either." Sasuke turned away, grateful to have that over with, and started for the Academy.

"Sasuke." Naruto's voice caused him to halt. When Sasuke faced him again, he was blushing, staring at his shoes.

"I - I guess I have to apologize now, too."

"Forget about it. I said I don't care."

"Well, just take the stupid apology anyway. That way you can't go around acting like you're better than I am!"

"I AM better than you, loser, and I said I don't want your crappy apology!. . . What did Iruka-sensei do to you last night, anyway?"

Together, the little boys made their way to the playground. "He whacked me a million times with his wooden ruler. It was nothing, though. I didn't even cry."

"Of course Iruka-sensei's punishments are nothing," Sasuke scoffed at this attempt at a display of bravado. "If he gave out spankings like the ones Older Brother gives ME, people's parents would come to the school and scream. Only a baby would cry over Iruka-sensei's ruler."

"Well, what would you know about it?" Naruto shot back. "Iruka-sensei's never laid a hand on you!"

Sasuke broke into a grin. "Big brother Kakashi's never laid a hand on me, either. It's too bad that now Iruka-sensei has someone to send notes home to if you do anything stupid. I bet if you get on his bad side, big brother Kakashi really will use Raikiri on your butt."

Naruto paled and shut his mouth.

"Naruto?"

Both boys turned to see Sakura, who was accompanied by Hinata. Hinata's nose was running as profusely as it had yesterday. With one hand, she attempted to use a wadded-up handkerchief to stem the flow. In her free hand, she clutched a bouquet of pink, round lollipops.

Sakura spoke first. "I - I. . . I'm sorry I hit you, Naruto."

Naruto gave a tiny shrug. "It's ok. I'm sorry I was annoying."

"N-N-Naruto." Hinata sniffled into her handkerchief. "We - were all worried about you. . .when you went missing. We're . . .happy you're ok. . .and . . . we're happy you have a big brother now."

"You guys were. . .worried about me, Hinata?"

"No, we all sat around and watched cartoons while you were gone," Sasuke snorted. "Of course we were worried about you, you big dummy."

"Yeah," Sakura chimed in. "Even a preschool baby knows better than to run off into the forest to play ninja!"

"Well, it's not like I had anything better to do!. . . By the way, if you guys - want to - I mean, if big brother Kakashi says it's ok. . .maybe - you can all come over to play ninja at our house sometime."

Hinata distributed the lollipops amongst her companions. Until the morning bell rang, the four little ones stood together and ate candy, regarding eachother in silence, big emerald eyes fastened to velvety black ones, round blue eyes glued to huge lilac ones.

Hey there! I hang out on a new discord server that galaxyqueenie started. Join it if you are interested in non sexual spanking fanfics, roleplay, and other fun stuff!❤️: https://discord.gg/YvKrZKD


End file.
